Lucky
by Orangeflight of ShadowClan
Summary: Firepaw is Squirrelflight and Bramblestar's only kit, which is why everyone calls her lucky. But when the Dark Forest regains power and a new prophecy is revealed, can Firepaw prove herself lucky, or was she misrepresented all along?
1. Allegiances and Prologue

**Lucky**

**Firepaw is Squirrelflight and Bramblestar's only kit, which is why everyone calls her lucky. But when the Dark Forest regains power and a new prophecy is revealed, can Firepaw prove herself lucky, or was she misrepresented all along?**

_**Allegiances**_

**ThunderClan:**

**Leader:**** Bramblestar—dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes**

**Deputy:**** Squirrelflight—dark ginger she-cat with green eyes**

**Medicine Cat:**** Jayfeather—gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes**

**Apprentice, Lilypaw**

**Warriors**

**Brackenfur—golden-brown tabby tom**

**Cloudtail—long-haired white tom with blue eyes**

**Brightheart—ginger-and-white she-cat**

**Millie—silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes**

**Thornclaw—golden-brown tabby tom**

**Apprentice, Amberpaw**

**Leafpool—brown tabby and white she-cat, former medicine cat**

**Spiderleg—black tom with a brown underbelly and amber eyes**

**Birchfall—brown tabby tom**

**Berrynose—cream-colored tom with amber eyes**

**Poppyfrost—tortoiseshell she-cat **

**Apprentice, Dewpaw**

**Hazeltail—gray-and-white she-cat**

**Mousewhisker—gray-and-white tom**

**Lionblaze—golden tabby tom with amber eyes**

**Foxleap—ginger tom**

**Icecloud—white she-cat**

**Toadstep—black-and-white tom**

**Apprentice, Snowpaw**

**Rosepetal—cream-colored she-cat **

**Briarlight—dark brown she-cat with amber eyes**

**Blossomfall—tortoiseshell and white she-cat**

**Apprentice, Firepaw**

**Bumblestripe—gray tom with black stripes**

**Dovewing—pale gray she-cat with blue eyes**

**Ivypool—silver and white tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes**

**Cherryfeather—ginger she-cat**

**Molewhisker—brown and cream-furred tom **

**Seedcloud—pale ginger she-cat with green eyes**

**Apprentices**

**Lilypaw—dark brown and cream she-cat **

**Amberpaw—gray-and-white patched she-cat **

**Dewpaw—dark gray tom**

**Snowpaw—long-haired white tom with amber eyes**

**Firepaw—ginger tabby she-cat with golden eyes**

**Queens**

**Whitewing—white she-cat, expecting Birchfall's kits**

**Cinderheart—gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes, expecting Lionblaze's kits**

**Daisy—cream long-furred she-cat from the horseplace**

**Elders**

**Sandstorm—pale ginger she-cat with green eyes**

**Graystripe—long-haired gray tom**

**Dustpelt—dark brown tabby tom**

**Purdy—plump tabby former loner**

**ShadowClan:**

**Leader:**** Rowanstar—ginger tom**

**Deputy:**** Scorchfur—dark gray tom**

**Medicine Cat:**** Littlecloud—brown tabby and white tom**

**Apprentice, Nightpaw (black and white tom)**

**Warriors**

**Toadfoot—dark brown tom**

**Applefur—mottled brown she-cat**

**Crowfrost—black-and-white tom**

**Snowbird—pure white she-cat**

**Apprentice, Timberpaw (gray tabby and white tom)**

**Ratscar—brown tom with a long scar across his back**

**Tawnypelt—tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes**

**Pinenose—black she-cat**

**Owlclaw—light brown tabby tom**

**Shrewfoot—gray she-cat with dark gray paws**

**Ivytail—black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat**

**Tigerheart—dark brown tabby tom**

**Apprentice, Thrushpaw (light gray she-cat with white splotches)**

**Dawnpelt—cream-furred she-cat**

**Ferretclaw—cream-and-gray tom**

**Starlingwing—ginger tom**

**Queens**

**Kinkfur—tabby she-cat with long fur that sticks out at all angles**

**Olivenose—tortoiseshell she-cat, expecting Tigerheart's kits**

**WindClan:**

**Leader:**** Onestar—brown tabby tom**

**Deputy:**** Boulderclaw—large pale gray tom**

**Medicine Cat:**** Kestrelflight—mottled gray tom**

**Warriors**

**Crowfeather—dark gray tom**

**Owlwhisker—light brown tabby tom**

**Apprentice, Greenpaw (dark brown tabby tom)**

**Gorsetail—pale gray and white tom with blue eyes**

**Swallowtail—dark gray she-cat**

**Weaselfur—ginger tom with white paws**

**Harespring—brown and white tom**

**Heathertail—light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes**

**Leaftail—dark brown tabby tom **

**Emberfoot—gray tom with two dark gray paws**

**Sedgewhisker—light brown tabby she-cat**

**Sunstrike—tortoiseshell she-cat with a huge white mark on her forehead**

**Whiskernose—light brown tom**

**Furzepelt—gray-and-white she-cat**

**Crouchblaze—black tom**

**Elders**

**Whitetail—small white she-cat**

**RiverClan:**

**Leader:**** Mistystar—gray she-cat with blue eyes**

**Deputy:**** Duskfur—brown tabby she-cat**

**Medicine Cat:**** Mothwing—golden dappled she-cat**

**Apprentice, Willowshine (gray tabby she-cat)**

**Warriors**

**Mintfur—light gray tabby tom**

**Graymist—pale gray tabby she-cat**

**Icewing—white she-cat with blue eyes**

**Minnowtail—dark gray she-cat**

**Apprentice, Stonepaw (dark gray tabby tom)**

**Pebblefoot—mottled gray tom**

**Petalfur—gray and white she-cat**

**Mallownose—light brown tabby tom**

**Robinwing—tortoiseshell and white tom**

**Grasspelt—light brown tom**

**Troutstream—pale gray tabby she-cat**

**Hollowflight—dark brown tabby tom**

**Apprentice, Splashpaw (gray and white she-cat)**

**Mossystream—brown-and-white she-cat**

**Rushleaf—light brown tabby tom**

**Heronflight—brown tabby tom**

**Apprentice, Rainpaw (dark gray she-cat with white paws)**

**Queens**

**Mosspelt—tortoiseshell and white she-cat, mother of Grasspelt's kits: Lichenkit (tortoiseshell and white she-kit) and Marshkit (dark brown tom)**

**Elders**

**Reedwhisker—black tom**

**Dapplenose—mottled gray she-cat**

**Pouncetail—ginger-and-white tom**

_Prologue:_

_The wind whispered across the _camp as Squirrelflight made her way towards Bramblestar's den. She took a deep breath, trying to think of what she would say to the dark brown tabby. He already knew she was getting a bit slow lately, but imagine what he would think if he knew she was pregnant with his kits!

She almost stumbled over a pebble on her way over and she winced slightly. She remembered when she had lied to Bramblestar about Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, and Jayfeather being their kits. Hopefully he'd believe her this time. Squirrelflight hesitated outside of Bramblestar's den, but then steadily stepped into the darkness of his den.

"Bramblestar?" she whispered, mentally scolding herself when her voice cracked.

In the illuminating darkness, she saw the huge dark brown tabby lift up his head and open his piercing amber eyes. "Yes Squirrelflight?" he asked in a calm voice.

"May I speak to you? It's very important." The dark ginger she-cat took a deep breath as his calculating gaze swept over her. For a few seconds, time seemed to stop, and there was only her and Bramblestar.

She thought he was going to say no until he meowed, "Of course. Let's speak outside of camp."

Squirrelflight sighed in relief and padded out of his den. She let Bramblestar take the lead as they headed towards the exit of the camp. Brackenfur and Spiderleg, the two warriors standing guard, nodded at them as they went past.

The whispers of the forest swept around them and Squirrelflight felt at ease. Her earlier fears had disappeared and now she knew what she would say to Bramblestar about his kits. After a while, they arrived in a secluded part of the forest.

They stopped and Squirrelflight felt her breath hitch in her throat. A light mist was wrapping around the forest, covering Bramblestar in a light veil of sky blue. For a minute, she thought he was a StarClan cat—and then the vision faded. Now he was staring at her impatiently.

"Well?" he growled. "I hope you didn't do this to waste my time, Squirrelflight."

"I didn't, I promise!" the dark ginger she-cat insisted. "I have something to tell you… it can't be a secret, not like last time." Squirrelflight paced forward until she was nose-to-nose with Bramblestar.

"Bramblestar, I… I'm pregnant. With your kits."

Bramblestar's amber eyes flashed with surprise, and he took a step back. "R-really? Are they really our kits?" the dark tabby meowed, his whiskers twitching slightly.

"Yes, I promise," Squirrelflight purred, nuzzling him. "They're all ours."

"We have to get you in the Nursery right away," the tabby leader meowed. "We can't risk them getting hurt if you get in a border skirmish."

_Impatient tom, _the dark ginger she-cat thought affectionately. _But at least I know he cares._

* * *

Bramblestar paced outside the den, his amber eyes shining with worry. Squirrelflight was giving birth, and he was really worried. No wonder Birchfall was so clingy when Whitewing had Dovewing and Ivypool—he knew that there was a chance of his mate dying.

After a long while of pacing, Jayfeather finally popped his gray tabby head out of the Nursery. "She's done, Bramblestar," he meowed with a hint of annoyance to his voice. "I was getting tired of hearing you pacing."

Bramblestar shrugged off his comment and bounded past him into the Nursery. In the curve of Squirrelflight's belly, there lay one single kit, an orange tabby. He felt the air rush out of him and warmth fill him from ears to tail-tip.

"It's a she-kit," Squirrelflight meowed gently, staring down at the kit with her emerald green eyes.

"S-she's beautiful," the tabby leader breathed. He lowered his head and stared at the little she-kit, _his _little she-kit.

"What should we name her?" the dark ginger she-cat asked, her eyes not leaving the kit. She gently wrapped her fluffy tail around her and purred as she mewled in protest.

Bramblestar looked up at the top of the den, his mind whirling for ideas. Suddenly, Firestar came to his thoughts and he purred, knowing now what he would call the she-kit.

"I think we should name her Firekit, after Firestar."

Squirrelflight looked down at the kit, purring to her gently. "Yes, Firekit. She'll be the luckiest cat in the forest."

* * *

"No!" Ashfur jabbed a paw into the sparkling water, causing ripples to form and the image in front of him to fade. "This wasn't supposed to happen!"

"Ashfur, you know it's destined for them to be together," Bluestar meowed calmly beside him. "Besides, that kit is important."

Ashfur clearly heard Bluestar's words, but he still glared into the sparkling water. _This kit may be important, but it was supposed to be _my _kit_. Long ago, he accepted that Squirrelflight would never be his, but it still hurt whenever he saw her and Bramblestar together.

"There's a new prophecy," Bluestar continued. "Everything is still not peaceful. Nothing ever seems to be peaceful anymore. But maybe young Firekit can help."

"What could _she _do?" Ashfur grumbled, looking down at his paws angrily.

"She could preserve peace. Maybe she could save the Clans once and for all." Bluestar's blue eyes glowed brightly with hope.

Just seeing the former ThunderClan leader excited about a kit that could've been his made Ashfur too upset to bear. He knew Squirrelflight would have never loved him, no matter how hard he tried, but it still just seemed hurtful.

"I have to go," he meowed to Bluestar, and turned tail and fled from the scene. He would have nothing to do with Firekit.

Not ever.

* * *

**Well, that's the end of the prologue! I hope you liked it c: Remember to review! The allegiances took me a long time to finish!**


	2. Chapter One: First Day as an Apprentice

**Lucky**

**Thank you Samjam75, Leafsplash-Of-ThunderClan, Dark is Walkin' the Green Mile, and Guest for reviewing, favoring, and following! I'm glad you guys liked it c: **

**Guest, I won't make Firepaw the reincarnation of Firestar because he already did his part in two prophecies and it wouldn't exactly be fair to have him become reborn. Well, anyway, here's chapter one!**

* * *

**Part One: A New Beginning**

* * *

_Chapter One_

"_Firepaw! Firepaw!"_

Firepaw felt her eyes glow in excitement as Blossomfall walked towards her, her tortoiseshell pelt glowing in the sunlight. The warrior leaned down to touch her nose against hers, and Firepaw felt warmth spread through her from ears to tail-tip. She was finally an apprentice, after waiting in the Nursery for so long.

She looked up at Bramblestar and Squirrelflight and saw pride glowing in their eyes.

Firepaw purred at them and then looked up at her new mentor. "What are we doing today?" she asked, excitement tingling in her paws.

"Right now, we're going to collect moss for Sandstorm, Dustpelt, Graystripe, and Purdy," Blossomfall replied, her green eyes looking around the camp distractedly. "Then you can get a good night's rest."

"Collect moss?" Firepaw failed to hide the disdain in her voice. "Can't we battle train or hunt like the other apprentices?"

Suddenly, Blossomfall was looming over the ginger tabby apprentice, her green eyes blazing like fire. "No," she growled. "We will collect moss for the elders. I'm your mentor, and you should do as I say!"

Firepaw winced, and muttered, "Okay." _I didn't know warriors could be mean to their apprentices!_

Together, they padded out of camp. Again, Firepaw felt a flash of annoyance when Blossomfall stopped, knowing that they would be collecting moss next. There was a huge tree shadowing over them with green moss showering down from the branches and some piling up below the tree trunk.

"Wow," Firepaw breathed, forgetting her anger at her mentor. The tree was so tall!

"This is the Owl Tree," Blossomfall explained, flicking her tail to a gaping dark hole in the tree bark. "It was named that because of the owl living in it."

"That's so cool!" Filled with new excitement, she turned towards the tortoiseshell warrior and bounced on her paws. "Will we ever see the owl? If I did, I'd catch it and feed the whole Clan!"

"Keep dreaming," her mentor replied, and then snorted in annoyance. "Just focus on collecting moss right now."

Firepaw sighed, remembering her dilemma, and then padded towards the big oak tree. Thinking for a moment, she stared down at the evergreen-colored moss and then drew up her paw, unsheathing her claws. Then in a messy way she clawed some moss off of the pile at the bottom of the tree. It was torn into pieces and just as Firepaw went to get more the same way, Blossomfall snapped at her.

"No, you're doing it all wrong! Do you know how to collect moss?" Her voice was filled with fury as she continued yelling at her apprentice. "You're acting like a three moon old kit!"

_I just became an apprentice! _Forcing herself not to growl back a retort at her mentor, Firepaw just looked at her with round, amber eyes. "Then how do you do it?" she asked, trying to sound calm.

Blossomfall drew up her paw, unsheathing her claws the same way Firepaw did, but instead she turned her paw sideways to show the soft pink pads. "This is how you get moss," she hissed to the ginger tabby, and then carefully shoved her turned paw under the green moss. Then in a quick motion, she flung the moss towards Firepaw. The tabby prepared to be covered in wet moss, but it landed right at her paws.

Firepaw opened her jaws to show her amazement, but Blossomfall pointed towards the moss, shooting the ginger tabby apprentice a green glare. Reluctantly, the apprentice picked up a paw and started collecting moss in the way her mentor had showed her.

After getting a decent amount for the four elders of ThunderClan, Blossomfall meowed, "Let's go. We have a nice pile of moss and it's getting close to moonrise anyway."

Without a second thought, Firepaw agreed. As she picked up a piece of moss in her jaws, she thought about how her mentor had snapped at her all day and how she always snarled at her whenever she did something wrong. _Maybe Blossomfall is just angry today. She'll be better tomorrow._

_Hopefully._

* * *

By the time they got back to camp, most of the warriors were heading off to the warriors den. She saw Snowpaw's pale white form in the apprentices den and made sure to remind herself that she should ask him what his first day as an apprentice was like.

Firepaw noticed Blossomfall glance up at the sky and a worried look flit across her eyes for a few seconds before disappearing. _What's her problem?_ Before she could ask her, her mentor dropped the moss she was carrying and turned to look at the ginger tabby.

"I'll take this moss to the elders in the morning. Their old bones can wait," Blossomfall meowed, flicking her tail in an annoyed way. "I can't afford to give it to them now."

Firepaw dropped the moss at her paws in an exasperated way and then shot a look of confusion to her mentor. "Why can't you afford it?"

Blossomfall seemed shocked at the question, and she tried to contain her composure by licking her chest fur. "I need to get to sleep," she meowed as if she were in a hurry. "A good warrior gets enough sleep so they can be as strong as they can be the next morning."

Still confused, Firepaw watched her tortoiseshell-and-white mentor race across the clearing to the warriors den, her fur bristling. _What was that about?_

_Oh well. I'll find out tomorrow, _she thought, opening her jaws in a yawn. Her claws ached and she was tired anyways. In a slight dazed state, she walked towards the apprentices den, prepared to relish the feeling of her fur against moss.

* * *

Firepaw opened her amber eyes to see total darkness. She heard whispers echoing through the black, but she couldn't make out what they were saying. Suddenly, she started moving forward, as if another cat was controlling her body. Although Firepaw was curious, she'd like to walk around on her own.

Finally, her paws stopped, and the voices became clearer:

"_This can't happen. StarClan's strength is beyond recognition. The boundaries can't break like this!"_

"_But it's that warrior's fault…"_

_What warrior? What can't happen? _Firepaw leaned forward, her ears pricked up, but suddenly a huge gust of wind swept her off her paws. Surprise swept through her, and she struggled to hear the voices, but the whirlwind was too loud.

Abruptly, the winds stopped, but she was still suspended in space. Firepaw tried to break free of the hold gravity had on her, but it didn't work. Suddenly, bright green eyes glowed through the darkness and they narrowed when they saw her.

Firepaw was scared now. Was this like the nightmares that Dewpaw usually have?

Another gust of wind soared through the dark, but they didn't whirl her around like last time. The wind carried messages. At first, it was hard to make out what they were, but now the voices were clear.

"_It is up to fire now…"_

**Wow, I'm finally done with this chapter! This is an introduction to Firepaw and her personality, which is a combination of both Squirrelflight and Bramblestar's. Sorry that it took so long to write, I was sort of procrastinating on doing this. But eventually I got up and started writing on where I left off! So, I hope you enjoyed!**

**There is also a group for this story on deviantart. Just go to my deviantart page (my username is DuchessOrange) and scroll down until you see the groups I own. Join if you want to, and make sure you submit fan art!**

**Don't forget to review, follow, and favorite if you like this story!**

**~Orangeflight of ShadowClan**


	3. Chapter Two: Blossomfall's Tour

**Lucky**

**Thank you Leafsplash and Winxclubfan1 for reviewing! And yes, I am accepting OC's for kits, but not for anything else c: I'd like it if you just gave me kit names for them, not warrior names because I like choosing my own, but it doesn't really matter either way :3 Anyways, here's the next chapter!**

_Chapter Two_

_Firepaw snapped awake, her breath _coming out in fast whispers. She felt sick and frightened, but she couldn't figure out why. A vague image of green flashed through her head, but it disappeared as soon as it had come. But why couldn't she remember anything?

She looked around for clues, but only saw the pale gray shape of Dewpaw in the apprentices den. The ginger tabby apprentice saw the small rise and fall of his stomach and knew he was asleep. She had to be quiet—she didn't want to wake him up!

Firepaw silently crept towards the exit of the den, careful not to make a sound, and then stepped onto the warm earthy ground of the camp. Sunlight was streaming down, making her pelt glow like fire and the ground to appear a light brown color.

She saw Blossomfall's tortoiseshell and white pelt across the clearing near the fresh-kill pile. Her mentor was sharing a thrush with her brother, Bumblestripe. Determinedly, Firepaw padded across the camp towards the she-cat.

At the sound of paw steps, Blossomfall and Bumblestripe looked up. "Hello, Firepaw," Bumblestripe meowed, dipping his head towards her. "What do you need?"

"I came to ask Blossomfall if we could finally battle train," the ginger tabby meowed, and then turned to her mentor, her amber eyes shining. "Can we? Please?"

The tortoiseshell flicked her tail dismissively. "We'll explore the forest today," she meowed, narrowing her eyes as a look of disappointment flashed across Firepaw's face.

_I wanted to battle train… _Firepaw frowned at her mentor.

Blossomfall turned her burning green gaze to her brother. "I'll be out exploring the forest with Firepaw. Tell the Clan that if they look for me," she growled, and then turned around and padded towards the exit of camp.

The ginger tabby apprentice sighed in annoyance but nonetheless padded after her tortoiseshell mentor.

The sound of birdsong was in the air as the two cats padded through the forest. "I already showed you the Owl Tree," Blossomfall meowed. "Now I'll show you the rest of the territory."

"I want to battle train," Firepaw muttered under her breath, but she had to admit that the forest was interesting. Chaffinches and kestrels flew through the air above her head, cawing noises to each other. Trees stretched taller than the Owl Tree, twisted branches and growing green leaves made it harder to see the sunlight, and squirrels and mice dug up nuts and seeds from the ground from the previous leaf-bare.

She nearly bumped into Blossomfall when she stopped since she was being distracted by the beauty of the forest. They were in a secluded area where the trees stretched into the sky and blocked must of the sunlight.

"Where are we?" Firepaw breathed, once again forgetting her attitude with her mentor.

"Oh, this place?" In the dark atmosphere, Blossomfall's eyes glowed a frightening emerald green. "This isn't a place in particular… but it is perfect for an unexpected ambush…" Firepaw noticed her voice was rising into a low growl, and her ears flattened on her head.

Before she even knew what was happening, Blossomfall leaped towards her, her teeth bared in a snarl. Her claws dug into Firepaw's skin and the tabby let out a yowl of pain. In the blink of an eye, Blossomfall had Firepaw pinned beneath her.

Firepaw's stomach twisted in a knot as she gulped, staring at the scary-looking green eyes of her mentor. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the tortoiseshell got off of her, sheathing her claws and sighing in disappointment.

"You should have been prepared for that," Blossomfall meowed, frowning. "You need to have natural instinct like the best warriors of the Clan."

_Natural instinct? I thought you were about to slice open my throat! _Fighting down her anger, Firepaw looked at her mentor in confusion. "You said we were exploring the forest, not battle training!"

"I wanted to surprise you," Blossomfall replied, and then glared at her. "Every cat that has potential for me would've been prepared. You need to be more like Amberpaw!"

_Amberpaw?_

_What does she have to do with this?_

"Whatever, let's just go back to camp," her mentor meowed, flicking her tail and padding into the sunlight-streamed forest. Still confused, Firepaw followed Blossomfall out of the secluded part of the forest.

* * *

"Snowpaw, was training with Toadstep the first time this hard?" Firepaw asked, licking a scratch that Blossomfall had given her on her shoulder. After they left the secluded part of the forest, her tortoiseshell mentor led her to the Sandy Hollow instead of camp for special training that no other apprentices used. Blossomfall said it was for the powerful apprentices and only those who were worthy or deserved it.

The long-haired white tom gave her a long look, and then turned away to stare into the dark blue sky. "No, Toadstep never gave me scratches the first time we battle trained. I think Blossomfall's being too hard with you."

"No way!" Firepaw exclaimed. _I want to have special training with Blossomfall! _"I'm fine, trust me Snowpaw. Blossomfall's not being too hard at all, and she's a great mentor."

Snowpaw's amber gaze switched from the sky to Firepaw, and she flinched when she saw the nervousness and worry brewing in them. "I'm not so sure."

Before she could say anything, Snowpaw got to his paws and walked away to the apprentices den. She felt conflicted—would she trust Snowpaw and get a new mentor, or should she continue special training with Blossomfall?

**Well, that's the end of the chapter! What do you guys think about it? I think it was a little rushed tbh, but I guess I just wanted to get it done xD **


	4. Chapter Three: Secret Keeper

**Lucky**

**Thank you Snowsong of SnowClan, Guest, and Leafsplash for reviewing! Guest, as soon as one of the she-cats has kits, I will put those kit names for them! Anyways, onto the chapter!**

_Chapter Three_

"_Come at me again!" Blossomfall _snarled, fluffing up her tortoiseshell fur. "You have to be tough! Pretend I'm a ShadowClan warrior!"

Firepaw bunched up her muscles and lunged at her mentor again. She had decided to ignore Snowpaw's warning and continue the special training with her tortoiseshell mentor. She hated to admit it, but Blossomfall's training had helped her with her dodging skills and her strength was increasing.

Blossomfall prepared to sidestep, but before she could, Firepaw bowled her over and pinned the she-cat. Firepaw's golden eyes glowed triumphantly as she stared down at her mentor, but before she could gloat, Blossomfall pushed the ginger tabby off of her and slashed at her with claws unsheathed.

Firepaw instinctively dodged and swiped a paw forward to scratch Blossomfall's shoulder. The tortoiseshell winced in pain, but leaped at the apprentice with claws unsheathed. She slashed Firepaw's shoulder and she felt pain course through her and yowled in pain.

Before the apprentice could react, Blossomfall had her pinned and her green eyes glared down at her. After a few moments, her mentor let her up and she licked a white paw.

Firepaw leaped to her paws. "Did I do well, Blossomfall?" she asked excitedly.

"You did great, Firepaw. Keep that up and you'll be going to the Gathering in a few nights," Blossomfall meowed, and she sounded genuinely impressed.

The ginger apprentice felt warmth spread through her and she purred. "So we're done for the day?"

Blossomfall narrowed her eyes and Firepaw flinched. But then she meowed, "Fine. We'll continue later on today, at moon-high."

_Night training! _Excitement coursed through Firepaw. She had never had night training before! Forgetting her exhaustion and the aching in her limbs, she bounced to camp, Blossomfall following.

By the time they made it back to camp, Firepaw controlled her excitement and padded towards the fresh-kill pile. She picked up a squirrel from the pile and started walking towards the apprentices den when she caught Snowpaw's gaze. His amber eyes looked troubled and worried, and he immediately looked away when he saw she was looking, too.

Confusion filled Firepaw, but she dismissed it as she sank her teeth into the squirrel's flesh. Realizing how good the brown-furred squirrel was, she devoured it in a few seconds. She hadn't realized how hungry she was. Licking her muzzle, she reached forward to grab another squirrel when suddenly, a voice boomed above her.

"Firepaw, get to my den this instant, and bring your mentor along with you!"

The ginger tabby apprentice looked up and recognized the cat as her father, Bramblestar. His amber eyes were narrowed and his fur was fluffed up so he looked twice his size.

Firepaw was about to question him, but he stomped away to his den before she could get a word out. Sighing, she looked around for Blossomfall, but saw she was already making her way towards Bramblestar's headquarters. Firepaw scampered after the tortoiseshell she-cat.

When Firepaw entered her father's den, she was greeted with soft bracken furls and a cool breeze. Her eyes adjusting to the gloom, she saw Bramblestar's dark brown tabby pelt, and his bristling fur.

She settled down on the soft grass, and Blossomfall sat down beside her, her tortoiseshell pelt bristling slightly.

Bramblestar's gaze swept over the two she-cats for a moment, before he meowed, "Snowpaw informed me that you keep coming back to camp with fresh scratches every day, Firepaw. Blossomfall, you're her mentor. Are you hurting my daughter with unsheathed claws?"

"No, it's nothing like that, Bramblestar! Blossomfall and I are just—"

"We travel through brambles in the territory every day to get to the Sandy Hollow, Bramblestar. I must not have noticed that they were hurting Firepaw," Blossomfall interrupted her. "I'm sorry for not paying attention more."

The tabby leader's amber eyes narrowed at Blossomfall for a moment, but at least he wasn't bristling anymore. "Alright," Bramblestar said after a long pause. "I believe you, Blossomfall. I recommend not taking that bramble path to the Sandy Hollow anymore."

Firepaw's eyes widened in confusion. _There isn't a bramble path, I'm doing special training!_ Blossomfall must have noticed her confused look and the tortoiseshell and white she-cat immediately slapped her fluffy tail over the apprentice's muzzle.

"Alright, Bramblestar," Blossomfall meowed and dipped her head. "Sorry for worrying you." And with that, her mentor led her out of the den.

"Why didn't you tell Bramblestar about our special training?" Firepaw asked, staring up at her mentor with golden eyes.

Blossomfall glared down at her and looked around swiftly. She then averted her gaze back down to her apprentice and growled in a low voice, "We have to keep our training a secret. Nobody else can know, not even your father."

Firepaw blinked in shock. "Why?"

"It's a secret warrior technique," Blossomfall explained, her voice still low. "Nobody uses it anymore, but it really improves your skills."

"Wow," Firepaw breathed. "A secret warrior technique!" _Does this mean I'm better than all the other apprentices if I'm learning a precious training session?_

Blossomfall winced at her excited voice, and snarled, "Just keep it a secret, will you?"

The ginger apprentice's mood immediately faltered and she nodded her head quickly. Turning around, she sped off towards the apprentices den and settled down in her moss and feather-lined nest. She might as well take a nap until Blossomfall felt like training again.

Just as her eyes drooped and darkness closed in near the corners of her vision, a paw prodded her awake. Firepaw groaned in annoyance, but looked up and recognized the gray pelt of Dewpaw. "What do you want?" the ginger apprentice snapped.

Dewpaw flinched slightly, but then meowed, "Snowpaw told me that you and Blossomfall were having special training and it was hurting you. He wants to know if you told Bramblestar."

Firepaw was about to tell him what happened, but then she remembered her promise to Blossomfall. "We stopped special training a few days ago," she lied. "Blossomfall said it was too tiring for her and she didn't want to see me get hurt anymore."

"Oh, good." Dewpaw stared at her with his amber eyes, and Firepaw was reminded uncomfortably of Snowpaw and how he kept staring at her with that same shade of amber. The dark gray tom held his stare until finally, he meowed, "I'm going to hunt with Poppyfrost. I'll be back later."

"Okay," Firepaw meowed, flicking her tail to the gray-furred apprentice. He dipped his head and padded out of the apprentices den, his tail swishing below him.

The ginger apprentice sighed and buried her head in her paws. _How can I keep lying to the Clan? Is it even worth it? _Silently, she lifted her head slightly to stare outside the den. She would have to figure it out herself. But for now, Firepaw was going to keep Blossomfall's secret.

Even if it killed her.

**Well, that's the end of chapter three! I hope you guys are enjoying how the plot is going! Anyways, don't forget to review!**


	5. Chapter Four: Friends or Enemies?

**Lucky**

**Thank you Curse of the forest, Leafsplash, Jayfeather rules, Snowsong of SnowClan, Danyelle Harris, and Dawnstream for reviewing! **

**Jayfeather rules: Oh, oops! I didn't realize that—I'll try to fix it if I can!**

**Dawnstream: It would be nice if that happened, and I did think of it before I started the story, but then I found out that Firepaw and Snowpaw would actually be related. Since Cloudtail is kin of Firestar and Squirrelflight is his daughter. **

**Now, on to the chapter!**

_Chapter Four_

_Firepaw opened her jaws in _a yawn as she stepped outside of the apprentices den, sunlight making her pelt look like a burst of flame. Her sleep had been disturbed many times by not only Dewpaw's nightmares, but bad dreams of her own. She was still bothered by Blossomfall's secretive nature about their special training, and she didn't seem even slightly bothered about lying to the Clan.

_Maybe she's done it before, _Firepaw had thought, but she immediately pushed the thought aside; she shouldn't be doubting the mentor that her father had assigned to her. Blossomfall must be the perfect choice for her if Bramblestar chose her.

Firepaw looked around the camp, trying to spot her mentor's tortoiseshell pelt. But all she could see was Dewpaw and Amberpaw sharing a mouse and Poppyfrost circling Brackenfur in an exasperated manner.

The orange tabby sighed in annoyance. _Where's Blossomfall when you actually need her? _She was about to start walking towards Bramblestar's den to see if she got sent on a patrol when a paw was placed on hers, stopping her.

Firepaw tensed, her claws sliding out to defend herself, but when she looked up, it was just Snowpaw. She immediately relaxed, sliding her claws back into the soft insides of her paws. "What do you need, Snowpaw?" she asked casually, her whiskers twitching in the slight breeze.

Snowpaw gazed at her with those hypnotizing amber eyes of his for a moment, and then meowed, "Toadstep told me I was training with you and Blossomfall today. We're all at the Sandy Hollow, so when you're ready, you can come there."

Firepaw nodded at him. "Thanks for telling me." She lightly brushed her nose across his muzzle for a few seconds and then turned around to walk towards the fresh-kill pile.

When she arrived there, she leaned down her head and picked up a sparrow in her jaws. Lifting her head again, Firepaw jumped in shock to see Snowpaw almost nose-to-nose with her.

"I'm sorry, Firepaw!" Snowpaw exclaimed, and then flattened his ears and looked down at the ground. He awkwardly shuffled his white paws.

The ginger apprentice blinked at him for a moment, and then took a bite out of the sparrow, feeling the stringy meat between her teeth. She purred in pleasure, taking another famished bite out of it.

She was about to finish off the sparrow when she saw Snowpaw's uneasy amber stare. Before she even knew what she was doing, Firepaw pushed the last remains of the fresh-kill towards the white-furred tom. "You can have this. You're probably hungry."

Shock filled Snowpaw's gaze, and he graciously purred, licking her cheek quickly before devouring the rest of the sparrow. He licked his muzzle and Firepaw felt a wave of embarrassment crash into her. _What did I just do?_

Snowpaw jumped to his paws, and Firepaw swiftly followed. "Let's go see Blossomfall and Toadstep now," she meowed, afraid that if she did anything else with Snowpaw she'd get that feeling she got earlier.

"Alright," the white-furred tom replied, and they both bounded out of camp into the green forest.

* * *

"What took you so long?" Blossomfall demanded as soon as Firepaw and Snowpaw arrived at the Sandy Hollow. "I could've gone to the old forest and came back by now!"

Toadstep gently laid his black-and-white tail across the tortoiseshell's shoulders. "Calm down, Blossomfall," he meowed, his voice having hints of a purr in it, "the apprentices can take as much time as they need. As long as it wasn't wasted dawdling." The warrior stared at the two apprentices with narrowed amber eyes.

Firepaw felt a flash of indignation course through her. _Snowpaw and I weren't dawdling! _But she was glad that Toadstep at least tried to defy Blossomfall. She didn't want to be known as the cat who took too long to get to the Sandy Hollow.

"Well, let's start battle training," Blossomfall meowed, casting a glance at the black-and-white warrior beside her. "I don't want to waste time with two annoying apprentices."

Toadstep nodded and removed his tail from her shoulders. The two warriors padded to opposite sides of the hollow and got into two different positions—Blossomfall's shoulders were squared and Toadstep's eyes blazed with bravery as if he could face a pack of dogs and kill them all with one swipe.

Firepaw stared at the two warriors with a confused expression. What were they about to do?

Blossomfall flashed her teeth. "Let's begin."

The two warriors pelted towards each other, their fur flying loose through the wind. Firepaw felt a flash of awe course through her as Blossomfall leaped up at the last minute and skidded her sheathed paws across Toadstep's back.

Toadstep then reared up on his hind-paws while she was still on his back and then whipped around. Before Blossomfall even knew what was happening, the black-and-white tom batted her ears with sheathed paws before dropping back down onto four paws.

"Wow!" Snowpaw exclaimed. "I want to learn that!"

Toadstep nodded at the snow-white apprentice. "You can practice it with Firepaw," he meowed, flicking his tail. "That is, if she was paying attention."

"I was!" Firepaw meowed, fluffing up her tabby fur in annoyance. "Come on Snowpaw, let's try this." She was about to bound to the other side of the hollow when suddenly, Blossomfall stopped her.

The tortoiseshell leaned down and whispered, "Don't train with them. We're going to do special training. Toadstep and Snowpaw are just a bunch of weaklings."

Firepaw felt a course of excitement flow through her like a river. _Special training! _She bounced on her paws. "Where are we going?" she asked. "Will it be that secluded part of the forest again?"

Blossomfall nodded to her apprentice, but before they could pad into the depths of the forest, they heard a meow behind them. "Where are you going?"

Firepaw turned around to see Snowpaw, his amber eyes wide in confusion. "I thought we were battle training," he meowed. "But now you're going off with Blossomfall! You _always _train with her."

"She's my mentor, Snowpaw," Firepaw meowed, feeling a sense of annoyance fill her. "I'm supposed to practice with her."

"But I worry about you whenever you battle train with her!" Snowpaw blurted out, and then shuffled his paws awkwardly on the sandy ground. "You _told _me what she did, and that's not right! You shouldn't be getting hurt. You did stop your special training, didn't you?"

"Of course!" Firepaw snapped. "Stop worrying about me! I'm fine!"

"But I just—"

Firepaw felt rage course through her, and she snarled, "Snowpaw! I don't want you worrying about me because it's annoying! It's like every time I do something you're there to ask if I'm okay! I don't want or need a bodyguard! So just leave me alone."

Snowpaw's eyes widened in surprise, and he opened his mouth as if to say something, but he made no sound. Hurt sparkled in the amber depths of his gaze and Firepaw almost felt bad about yelling. But some cat had to tell him that he was worrying _way _too much.

Toadstep stared at the white tom for a moment, and then cast a look towards Blossomfall. "You can go train somewhere else if you want. I'll tell Bramblestar why you aren't here with us."

Blossomfall nodded to the black-and-white tom and purred, "Thank you." The tortoiseshell turned to Firepaw and roughly shoved her shoulder. "Come on, let's go, Firepaw."

Firepaw turned to the forest and was about to pad into the safety of the trees but then she looked back at Snowpaw. His head was down and he looked like he was about to start crying. The apprentice however just glared at him and jumped into the bushes, Blossomfall following.

**Well, that's the end of chapter four! Firepaw and Snowpaw have gotten closer and now have drifted apart in literally the same chapter. Do you think I rushed? I think I did :/ Well, anyway, don't forget to review about what you think!**


	6. Chapter Five: Border Fight

**Lucky**

**Thank you Snowsong of SnowClan and Silkbreeze-Of-ThunderClan for reviewing! I really appreciate your support, guys c:**

_Chapter Five_

_The next morning, Firepaw _was prodded awake by a sharp, unsheathed paw. She creaked open her golden eyes slightly, nearly blinded by the sunlight streaming through the den. When her eyes adjusted, she saw Blossomfall's looming figure staring down at her, her green eyes brewing in rage.

"Why were you not already awake?" the tortoiseshell snarled fiercely. "Remember what I said yesterday—you have to wake up at the break of dawn for complete training."

"Yes, I remember," Firepaw murmured, getting to her paws and carefully licking her chest fur. "I'm sorry, Blossomfall."

"_Sorry _isn't going to cut it," her mentor growled, and turned away and exited the apprentices den. The sun beams made it look as if her fur was glittering as she left.

The ginger tabby apprentice licked her fur to clean herself and then made her way out of the den, looking around for the tortoiseshell coat of her mentor. She saw her by the fresh-kill pile, meowing to her brother, Bumblestripe. The pair looked as if they were arguing.

Firepaw started to walk towards them cautiously, then thought better of it and turned around to see Dewpaw, Amberpaw, and Snowpaw talking together. She narrowed her golden gaze at Snowpaw, their last encounter still fresh in her mind. She was annoyed by the white-furred apprentice for always caring about her. It was too weird for her and she snapped.

The apprentice turned away from them again and stared up at the sun. It was sun-high. She must have _really _upset Blossomfall—it was a long ways off from dawn now.

After a moment, Blossomfall's angry voice echoed from right next to her. "Stop staring at clouds and let's get to special training."

Firepaw sighed in annoyance and got to her paws, ignoring the rumble her stomach made as she did so. She followed Blossomfall out of the camp, sending the fresh-kill pile longing glances along the way.

After a while, they arrived at a clearing with orange and yellow flowers showered along the green grass. Her tortoiseshell mentor looked around for a moment and then turned around to face her. "Sniff the air," she commanded. "What do you smell?"

Firepaw lifted her muzzle and sniffed the air carefully. An acrid tang immediately met her head on and she recoiled, flattening her ears. "It smells like crow-food!" she spat, trying to shake her head and clear the scent.

Blossomfall cast her a narrowed green stare. "It's ShadowClan—remember their scent. Secretly, I think they want to invade ThunderClan territory."

_ShadowClan? _Firepaw heard from the elders that they hardly ever agreed with ThunderClan when she was just a kit. She narrowed her gold eyes at the thought of them invading. _They'd never win, not with me as an apprentice of ThunderClan!_

Blossomfall looked at her apprentice for a moment, and then meowed, "Well, let's get to special training. ShadowClan warriors will shake in fear at you if you just follow my instructions."

"Okay!" Firepaw bounced on her paws as the tortoiseshell she-cat padded to the far end of the grassy clearing. She crouched as she noticed Blossomfall doing a move she showed her a few days ago called the Blinding Pounce.

Blossomfall leaped into the air, and Firepaw leaped at her at the exact same moment. The two met at the point where the sun was in the clear blue sky and they batted their unsheathed paws at each other. Blossomfall's claws met Firepaw's cheek and she mewed in pain.

The two cats landed on the grass with a loud _thump_, but they continued to tussle with each other. Firepaw lashed at Blossomfall's ear and was met with the delightful feeling of flesh. The tortoiseshell's face scrunched up in pain and the tabby apprentice took that chance to pin her down.

"I win!" Firepaw exclaimed, immediately jumping off of her mentor.

Blossomfall got to her paws and shook herself. "I was going easy on you," she meowed. "If I showed you my real strength, that would hardly be fair."

Firepaw fluffed up her fur indignantly. "You shouldn't go easy on me! I could beat you anytime!"

The tortoiseshell narrowed her green eyes to slits. She flashed her teeth and she looked like she was about to pounce on her when suddenly, a screech rang through the air.

Blossomfall immediately swung back and licked her chest fur, looking around wildly as if she did something wrong. When nothing happened, she carefully flicked her ears and sniffed the air.

"There's trouble!" she hissed. "There's a border skirmish between us and ShadowClan, but I think they're outnumbering us!"

Firepaw's eyes widened in surprise. _But we _can't _lose to ShadowClan! We're ThunderClan—the most independent and amazing Clan around the lake! _She lashed her tail angrily. "We have to help them!" she meowed.

Blossomfall's green eyes glowed in surprise for a moment but then she nodded and led the way through the grass. After a maze of ferns and thickets, Firepaw saw a glimpse of the battle. A silver tabby and white apprentice and a cream-colored warrior were advancing on Dewpaw and a black warrior was cornering Poppyfrost. Her golden gaze swept across the clearing and she noticed that there were more ShadowClan cats than ThunderClan.

The ginger tabby apprentice looked at Blossomfall and she saw that her eyes were narrowed. Firepaw was about to meow something to her when suddenly, the tortoiseshell leaped out of the bushes they were hiding in and ran towards the black warrior that was attacking Poppyfrost.

Firepaw launched herself down the slope towards the apprentice and warrior. She saw Dewpaw's amber eyes sparkle in surprise as she neared them and she flashed her paw forward, going for the warrior first.

Her claws met her tail and she yowled in surprise, whipping around towards her with her amber eyes narrowed. The cream ShadowClan warrior lunged forward, slashing her claws against Firepaw's cheek.

She yowled in pain, feeling blood well up against the cuts. She winced, but managed to claw the warrior's ears. She felt satisfaction glow inside of her as the warrior shrunk back under her paw.

Suddenly, the silver apprentice bowled her over. Firepaw winced again as he bit her side and slashed his silver claws along her back. She twisted her paw slightly and unsheathed her claws, ready to attack him when his fur came into reach.

She finally found her chance and sliced her claws along his side. The tabby and white apprentice reeled in pain and jumped off of her. Firepaw leaped on top of him and pinned him. She hissed at him and she saw his green eyes widen in desperation. She was about to claw his face when suddenly, a voice yowled, "Stop!"

Firepaw immediately jumped off of the tabby apprentice and she saw his eyes light up in gratitude. She turned to the source of the voice and saw Bramblestar and a ginger tom, their eyes narrowed in anger.

"What are you doing?" the ginger cat hissed, looking around the scene. "I told you to survey the area for rogues, not attack ThunderClan warriors!"

"But all ThunderClan cats are bad, remember? Jayfeather drowned Flametail!" the cream-furred warrior snarled, the fur along her back bristling angrily.

The ginger tom swung his head around to glare at the warrior. "Dawnpelt, Jayfeather wasn't responsible for your brother's death! He's one of the Three, and he deserves respect for helping us win the final battle."

Dawnpelt flattened her ears and looked as if she was going to retort, but she stayed quiet.

Bramblestar looked at the ThunderClan cats for a moment, and then meowed, "We should go. We probably shouldn't stray so near the ShadowClan border if their warriors will attack us." He glared at the ginger tom for a second longer and then flicked his tail, disappearing into the bushes.

Firepaw's mind was swimming with questions. _Who is Flametail? How did he die? Was Jayfeather really responsible? _She shook her head to clear her thoughts and followed Bramblestar through the bushes.

* * *

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather underneath the High Ledge!" Bramblestar yowled.

Firepaw looked up from the mouse she was eating, noticing how even the injured cats from the fight with ShadowClan earlier were gathering under the ledge. She finished her prey and got to her paws, exhaustion washing over her. She managed to make it under the ledge to sit next to Amberpaw and Dewpaw.

When all the cats had gathered, her father meowed, "As you all know, we had some trouble with ShadowClan this morning. However, we won't let that get in the way of our truce at the Gathering tonight."

_Oh yeah, the Gathering! _Firepaw had forgotten that the full moon was tonight. _If I can go, I can meet the other apprentices from the Clans! _Hopefully, she'd be able to go. She visited Jayfeather and he said that her wounds wouldn't stop her from training, but Lilypaw had said she might not be able to walk long distances.

Bramblestar flicked his tail to silence the murmuring sweeping through the camp. "I'll now announce the cats that are going to the Gathering. Foxleap, Birchfall, Lionblaze, Dovewing, Bumblestripe, Leafpool, Cinderheart, Ivypool, Icecloud, Poppyfrost, Blossomfall, Thornclaw, Toadstep, Dewpaw, Amberpaw, Snowpaw, and Firepaw will be attending."

Firepaw felt shock flash through her like a wild fire. _I'm going to the Gathering?_

"You should eat so you are prepared to go to the island. Meeting dismissed." Bramblestar dipped his head slightly and disappeared into the shadows of his den.

"Congratulations," Dewpaw meowed, nudging her shoulder slightly. "You're going to the Gathering!"

"I'll show you around, if you'd like," Amberpaw meowed quietly, staring at her with speculating amber-colored eyes.

"No, that's okay," Firepaw meowed, excitement making her paws feel lighter.

The gray and white she-cat nodded and padded off, Dewpaw following after her. Firepaw stared after them for a moment and then jumped excitedly on her paws.

_I'm going to the Gathering!_

**Well, that's the end of chapter five! I still think it's rushed like pretty much all of my chapters, but it is the longest one I've ever written! So, review and tell me what you think!**


	7. Chapter Six: The Gathering (Part One)

**Lucky**

**I'm so, so, so sorry that this took so long! I kind of took a break and started drawing pictures, but now I'm back in the writing business! Again, sorry that this took so long. This chapter is super late ^^"**

**Thank you A Castle of Glass and Leafsplash for reviewing the last chapter!**

**Castle: I just think they're rushed for some reason. I'm not sure if they actually are or if they're not. But I know I have to work on description a bit more so that's why I always assume they're rushed.**

**Leafy: It's okay ^^ Thank you!**

_Chapter Six_

"_All of the cats coming to _the Gathering, come to the exit!" Bramblestar's yowl echoed around camp and Firepaw got to her paws, excitement coursing through her. She still couldn't believe that she was going to the Gathering. It was a big honor!

Beside her, Dewpaw looked at her, his eyes glittering. "Are you excited?" he asked, his meow calm but holding a low spark of excitement in it.

"Yes," Firepaw replied, her paws tingling. _Now I can finally meet the other Clan cats! _Shaking her pelt, she bounded towards her father.

The ginger tabby turned her head to see Dewpaw heading towards the group with Amberpaw and Snowpaw trailing behind. Firepaw narrowed her eyes at Snowpaw, and he flinched, turning his dark amber gaze away.

Amberpaw noticed this and looked at Firepaw with a questioning gaze, but didn't say anything. The ginger tabby apprentice turned away from the trio and stared back at Bramblestar, watching his brown tabby pelt ripple in the moonlight as he paced around the exit of camp.

Her father then lifted his head, his eyes glittering in the starlight. "Let us leave. All warriors who aren't going, guard the camp!"

Cherryfeather slid out of the warriors den, her ginger pelt glowing in the light of the moon. "We'll do our best, Bramblestar," she meowed, dipping her head.

Bramblestar nodded to her and then flicked his tail, padding out of the camp. "Follow me, warriors!"

The rest of the ThunderClan cats streamed after him. Firepaw had trouble catching up to them, but seeing Snowpaw and his littermates trailing after her gave her an extra boost of speed. When she felt she was a bit more ahead, Firepaw turned her head to look back at them. Amberpaw was looking at her quizzically while Dewpaw was talking to Snowpaw, who was looking back at him with troubled eyes.

Firepaw snorted. Snowpaw was way too worried about everything. _He should just be like other apprentices and only care about training! _

The grass beneath her paws grew moist as the group continued on, and a flicker of unease flashed through her. Firepaw paused for a moment, shaking her head to clear it. There was nothing to be afraid of. They were only going to the Gathering.

She continued on, her paws getting matted with water more with every step. Firepaw flicked some drops of the water off her paw, wrinkling her nose in disgust. She hated getting wet.

Finally, the group arrived at a long flowing river. The moon's glow made the river shine like a star and the ripples glittered beautifully.

"We have to cross _that_?" Dewpaw's distressed voice snapped Firepaw out of her staring. She looked back and saw the dark gray tom pressing against Amberpaw, his eyes wide with fear. Silently, Firepaw shared his fear. She didn't like water, and that river looked really deep.

"No, you mouse-brain!" Jayfeather's voice came from farther down the river. "There's a tree trunk in the middle of the river!"

A small "oh" came from Dewpaw, and Firepaw's pelt flowed with relief. At least they didn't have to cross through the river and get their paws wet.

She followed the rest of the Clan downstream until they came across a big brown trunk, lying right in the middle of the river. _Just like Jayfeather said_, Firepaw thought, casting a glance towards the gray tabby medicine cat before returning her gaze to the tree trunk.

"Firepaw."

With a start, the ginger tabby she-cat looked up and saw Bramblestar sitting in front of the tree trunk, his amber gaze on her. He nodded slowly, and then meowed, "This is how we get to the Gathering island. But be careful—cats _have _fallen off before."

Firepaw gulped silently, then nodded at her father. The big brown tabby flicked his tail and then he padded across the smooth, glowing trunk, already halfway across. The rest of the patrol streamed after him, swiftly gliding across the brown bark like they'd been doing it their whole entire lives.

When it was finally her turn, Firepaw's paws started trembling slightly. She shakily touched the bark, and found out that it was smooth, yet wet. She shivered inwardly but pulled herself unto the tree regardless.

After a few minutes, she made it halfway across. Firepaw swallowed, her tail fluffing up noticeably. Her paws felt drenched and it seemed like the bark was making her lose her balance. Either that, or she was so nervous that she was slipping.

Hesitantly, Firepaw took another step forward, but suddenly, her hind paws slipped. She squeaked in terror, flailing into the deep water below the tree trunk. Bubbles flew around her and she was literally panicking in the water. She was losing her breath fast.

Suddenly, something grabbed her scruff. Firepaw felt light-headed, but continued flailing, trying to kick her hind legs out to hit the thing grabbing unto her. But when she was lifted out of the water, she abruptly stopped moving around so quickly.

The thing that had grabbed her placed her unto smooth sand. Firepaw blinked open her golden eyes, looking around. When she found what had saved her, her fur immediately started bristling.

"Snowpaw!" she hissed.

The white apprentice didn't seem to hear her. He looked at her, as if analyzing her, and then his dark amber gaze met her golden one shyly. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

Firepaw puffed at him, her gold gaze angry. "Yes," she muttered. But at her next statement, her voice rose. "Why did you save me?"

"Um, you were _drowning_?" Snowpaw flicked one of his front paws for emphasis. "Listen, I know you're mad at me, but—"

"Yeah, I _am _mad at you!" Firepaw interrupted him. "And there's nothing you can do about that. Unless you can prove that you don't care."

For the first time ever, Firepaw swore she saw bitter anger flash in Snowpaw's eyes before disappearing. The ginger tabby blinked, suddenly confused.

Snowpaw stayed silent before hissing, "Look, if you would have rather drowned, that's fine with me." With a huff, the white apprentice stormed off.

Firepaw stared after him, her expression blank. Why was he so mad all of a sudden? He was acting differently than normal, that's for sure. But… why?

It couldn't be her fault, could it?

Firepaw shook her head, clearing her thoughts. There was no way this could be _her_ fault!

"Hey, you!"

Firepaw lifted her head, looking around. She spotted a gray tabby and white tom seated next to a gray she-cat with white splotches. Their eyes were narrowed, and they didn't look friendly at all.

_Wait… _Squinting, Firepaw stared at the gray tabby and white tom. He looked awfully familiar…

"What are you staring at me for? Come over here!" the gray tabby and white tom snapped, his green eyes flashing dangerously.

Firepaw flinched at his tone, and then hesitantly padded over to the two gray-furred cats, wondering what they wanted from her.

"What were you doing?" the she-cat hissed. Her pelt was bristling, and her tail was fluffed up.

"U-Um…" Firepaw stammered, looking down at her paws. This was getting bad.

The gray tabby and white tom and the gray she-cat glared at her, and she saw their claws unsheathe slightly.

_Uh-oh…_

**So what did you guys think? I don't think this was rushed at all, and I did good on the description I think ^^ Anyways…**

**Firepaw's in trouble! :0 Or… is she? **_**Dun dun dun…**_

**And why do you guys think Snowpaw was suddenly mean? He's a calm and collected character, but suddenly he took a turn for the worst.**

**Well, that's it for now c: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to review!**

**~Orangeflight of ShadowClan**


	8. Chapter Seven: The Gathering (Part Two)

**Lucky**

**Thank you Potatotheumbreon, FrostFall37, Leafsplash, Castle, Silverstar, and Heatherstrike88 for reviewing! I really appreciate it :) And thank you for the few faves and follows I got as well!**

**But before I start the chapter, I kind of want to talk about Bramblestar's Storm. I haven't read it yet, but I heard from Leafy that they changed Amberkit's description to a ginger she-cat and Dewkit's to a gray and white tom. That kind of ruined it for me, since I liked them with their gray color schemes. Oh well… hopefully the rest of the book is better.**

**And now, on to the chapter!**

_Chapter Seven_

_The two cats approached _Firepaw, their eyes narrowed to slits. The ginger tabby apprentice still couldn't understand why the two other apprentices were ganging up on her, but it must've had something to do with her almost-drowning experience.

Firepaw backed up a bit as the two apprentices drew closer, their fur fluffed up. Honestly, she was scared out of her mind. In her mind, she prayed that Bramblestar, or StarClan forbid, _Snowpaw_, would save her. He always seemed to help her anyways, so where was he now?

But then suddenly, the gray tabby and white apprentice stopped. "Wait a second… aren't you the one from the battle?"

Firepaw stared at him for a moment, confused, before she realized what he was talking about. _So that's why he seemed so familiar! _"Um, yes," she meowed a bit awkwardly.

The tom's green eyes flashed with wonder. "Wow! So _that's _why you seemed so tough to me!" He flattened his fur and smiled at her. "I'm Timberpaw, apprentice of ShadowClan! What's your name?"

The ginger apprentice opened her mouth to respond, but then noticed the gray and white she-cat was still approaching her, looking as dangerous as ever.

Timberpaw frowned at her a bit, but then noticed what she was looking at. "Thrushpaw, stop playing around! You're scaring her!" he exclaimed, lashing his tail in exasperation.

The gray and white she-cat smoothed her pelt, suddenly looking calm. "Oh. Sorry," she meowed, and she actually sounded apologetic. She padded back to Timberpaw's side, sitting down with her tail curled around her white paws.

The gray tabby and white apprentice shot her a grateful look, and then returned his gaze to Firepaw. In a flash, she remembered she was supposed to be answering a question.

"Oh! My name is Firepaw… I'm from ThunderClan," the ginger tabby meowed carefully. Sure, they seemed nice, but if she gave them too much information, they might use it against her in battle.

"That's a cool name! Do you want to be friends?" Timberpaw meowed lightly, bouncing on his paws.

Thrushpaw shoved him, as if telling him that she didn't agree to this, but the other apprentice ignored her completely.

"Friends?" Firepaw asked, unsure about all of this. "You almost killed me and you want to be friends?"

"Oh, we were only playing around," Timberpaw meowed, still bouncing. "So, what do you say?"

"Umm…" Firepaw meowed, looking down at her paws. "I—"

"Let the Gathering begin!" a loud voice exclaimed, interrupting Firepaw's answer. The ginger tabby apprentice looked up, seeing a small brown tabby tom sitting on the highest branch. He looked like the one who had spoken.

The tom's amber gaze skimmed the crowd for a moment before nodding. He jumped down unto a lower branch, flicking his tail at a ginger tom.

The ginger cat was the complete opposite of the tabby tom—he was a large, heavyset tom with wide paws and a long, fluffy tail. He scanned the Gathering island before opening his jaws to speak.

"Prey is running well in ShadowClan, and we have gotten three new apprentices. Timberpaw and Thrushpaw, who will be warrior apprentices, and Nightpaw, who is our new medicine cat apprentice!"

"Timberpaw! Thrushpaw! Nightpaw!" the cats cheered.

Firepaw flattened her ears, hissing in annoyance. _I didn't know Gatherings would be so loud!_

"Nightpaw's our brother," Timberpaw whispered to her. "I still have no idea why he wanted to be a medicine cat."

Silently, Firepaw agreed. If you were a medicine cat, you'd be cooped up all day in a den full of stinky herbs. She had no idea how Jayfeather and Lilypaw did their jobs with that stench.

"We also had a border skirmish with ThunderClan earlier," the ginger tom continued, glancing at Bramblestar. "But Bramblestar and I both agree that it was Dawnpelt's fault—she has been assigned apprentice duties for two moons."

The Gathering island was silent for a moment before low cheers erupted through the cats. Timberpaw and Thrushpaw were included in the cheering.

Firepaw leaned over towards Timberpaw and muttered, "Do you not like Dawnpelt?"

"Most cats don't," the gray tabby and white tom responded. "She accused Jayfeather of killing her brother, Flametail, on purpose. It was confirmed an accident, but Dawnpelt has never believed that. She still thinks it was a purposeful murder."

"Oh," the ginger tabby apprentice meowed. "Then how did he die?"

"Unfortunately, I don't know," Timberpaw said, flicking his tail in slight annoyance. "Nobody really talks about it anymore."

"Oh." Firepaw's ears drooped. She had been curious over how Flametail died since the border fight, but it seemed like she was never going to get the answer.

The cheering stopped, and the ginger tom flicked his tail to a blue-gray she-cat. The cat dipped her head, murmuring something before stepping onto the highest branch. In the moonlight, her blue-gray fur flashed a soft silver.

"Greetings," the she-cat meowed, her voice sounding as soft as a feather. "The fish in the river is running well thanks to the new season. And Troutstream, Mallownose, and Heronflight have chased a fox off of our territory."

"Troutstream! Mallownose! Heronflight!" the cats cheered, and it seemed like every single cat on the island was happy.

"And also, we have three new apprentices," the blue-gray she-cat continued, lashing her tail as a signal for everyone to stop cheering. "Please welcome Stonepaw, Splashpaw, and Rainpaw!"

The cats started cheering again, but quieter this time. Firepaw looked around and saw that a group of cats looked uneasy. She frowned, wondering why.

The brown tabby from earlier nodded at the blue-gray she-cat and she jumped off of the branch. The short tom took her place, fluffing up his fur.

"The prey in WindClan is running low, and Crouchpaw has become a warrior. His name is now Crouchblaze."

A few cats started cheering, but other than that, the island was eerily silent.

The short tabby frowned a bit at the quietness, but then calmly continued. "We also have a new apprentice—Greenpaw."

Nobody cheered that time. Firepaw thought she heard a hiss of annoyance somewhere in the crowd, but she could've imagined it.

The tabby looked disturbed now. "Um… t-that's it for WindClan! Bramblestar, you can say your news now." It could have been a trick of the moonlight, but Firepaw thought she saw him look troubled.

The big brown tabby tom nodded at him and jumped up to the highest branch. "ThunderClan is running well," Bramblestar announced, his loud voice echoing around the island. "My daughter has become an apprentice—everyone, please congratulate Firepaw!"

A low gasp of shock was heard nearby, and Firepaw turned her head to see Timberpaw looking at her, his green eyes wide with shock. Thrushpaw looked similar, although there was a hint of jealousy in her deep blue eyes.

"You're _Bramblestar's _daughter?" Timberpaw asked, shock still clearly evident in his voice.

"Um, yes," Firepaw meowed, licking her chest fur in slight embarrassment. "Sorry for not telling you."

"You're so lucky!" the gray tabby and white tom burst out, his fur bristling in excitement. "How come nobody flocks to you? You _must_ be treated like a deputy, right?"

"Well, err, no," the ginger tabby apprentice replied, slight amusement dancing in her gold eyes. "I'm treated just like a normal apprentice."

"Oh." Timberpaw looked down for a moment before looking up again, his green eyes bright. "Well, how about—"

"The Gathering has ended!" a voice boomed, interrupting his words. "Please return back to your Clans."

Timberpaw frowned, glancing at the tree the leaders were sitting on for a moment before returning his gaze back to Firepaw. "Oh… it looks like Thrushpaw and I have to go." He sounded disappointed.

Firepaw felt a bit sad, too. "Oh, okay," she meowed. "Will I see you at the next Gathering?"

"I hope so," Timberpaw responded. He turned around and started padding away. He looked back. "Bye Firepaw!" He then quickened his pace and disappeared into a crowd of cats.

For some reason, Firepaw wanted him to turn around and come running back to her, so they could talk some more…. She shook her head. That couldn't happen—he had to go back to ShadowClan, and she had to go back to ThunderClan. With her tail slightly drooping, she walked away to go find Blossomfall.

**Well, this is my longest chapter! I really enjoyed writing Timberpaw's character since he's just a really cute and lovable cat xD Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and don't forget to review!**


	9. Chapter Eight: Something's Wrong

**I'm so sorry for being late on this update! I got a new computer, and I'm trying to figure out how to use it :U It doesn't have Microsoft Word, but I'm working really well with Pages, so I'll be using that for now on ^^ Even though the pretty background I used to help me write doesn't exist anymore, I shall try to finish this story as thoroughly as if I had my old computer! Also, how do you guys like the new cover? Do you like this one or the other one? Review on what you think :) Anyways, onto the review replies!**

**FrostFall37: Thank you so much! It's very nice to hear that :) And your welcome!**

**Silverstar: Thank you! ^^**

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**Snowsong of SnowClan: Yeah, me too xD**

**famousyoutuber (Guest): Thank you for the suggestion, but I am already reading Leafsplash's stories :3 They are amazing and I've been trying to pick up a few tips xD**

**Leafsplash-Of-ThunderClan: It's alright! I lose track of stories sometimes too xD And thank you! Here's your update!**

**bluefrost of RiverClan: Thank you! ^^ Here's your update!**

_Chapter Eight_

_There was something _wrong with Snowpaw.

Firepaw narrowed her golden eyes at the white apprentice as he shared a plump brown rabbit with Amberpaw. He said he'd caught it himself, but weren't rabbits only in WindClan?

And she'd also noticed that Snowpaw would always avoid her now. What happened to Firepaw being the one avoiding him? And he smirked way more often. Wasn't he supposed to be shy?

…What happened?

"How long have you been staring at Snowpaw?" an amused voice asked.

Firepaw turned around to see Dewpaw, his dark gray fur looking like a silver veil in the sunlight. She rolled her eyes in feigned annoyance. "It's only been about three minutes, Dewpaw," she replied, flicking her tail.

"Yeah right," the dark gray tom answered, walking up to settle beside the ginger tabby. "I'd say you _like _him."

"No way!" Firepaw said indignantly. "There's just something _wrong _with him!"

"Oh? And what would that be?" Dewpaw asked, lowering his head to lick a paw.

The ginger apprentice puffed in annoyance, not replying to the dark gray tom's mocked question. She narrowed her golden gaze again and continued staring at Snowpaw. Her pelt prickled slightly as he took another bite out of the rabbit.

_Something is wrong here… I can feel it._

But how was Firepaw supposed to figure it out?

Just then, Snowpaw got to his paws, shaking out his fur. The look on Amberpaw's face was questionable, but her white littermate didn't seem to notice. The tom turned around, his dark amber eyes immediately meeting Firepaw's light golden ones. The ginger tabby she-cat flinched as she saw angry fire blazing in their depths. What happened to his warm, dazzling eyes that seemed to light up the whole world?

Snowpaw's fur started bristling slightly and he started towards Firepaw and Dewpaw, a dark look crossing his face. Honestly, Firepaw had never felt so afraid of the white tom.

Dewpaw's ears pricked, seeming to notice something off about his littermate as well. The gray tom's amber eyes glowed in confusion and he got to his paws, stretching out his limbs as Snowpaw approached.

Finally, Snowpaw stopped in his tracks, only about one mouse-length away from them. His cold gaze rested on Firepaw for a moment, before it turned to Dewpaw. "Toadstep said that he wanted you to come with us to hunt because Poppyfrost wanted to spend the whole day with Whitewing today."

Firepaw flinched at his voice. The way it sounded… it was like Blossomfall's voice, except more harsh and cold. It was like Snowpaw had completely changed!

She wracked her brain for a reason on why this was happening, completely missing Dewpaw's reply. When did this start and why…?

Suddenly, she remembered something important. Something she shouldn't have forgotten in the first place….

_The thing that had grabbed her placed her unto smooth sand. Firepaw blinked open her golden eyes, looking around. When she found what had saved her, her fur immediately started bristling._

_"Snowpaw!" she hissed._

_The white apprentice didn't seem to hear her. He looked at her, as if analyzing her, and then his dark amber gaze met her golden one shyly. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly._

_Firepaw puffed at him, her gold gaze angry. "Yes," she muttered. But at her next statement, her voice rose. "Why did you save me?"_

_"Um, you were _drowning_?" Snowpaw flicked one of his front paws for emphasis. "Listen, I know you're mad at me, but—"_

_"Yeah, I am mad at you!" Firepaw interrupted him. "And there's nothing you can do about that. Unless you can prove that you don't care."_

_For the first time ever, Firepaw swore she saw bitter anger flash in Snowpaw's eyes before disappearing. The ginger tabby blinked, suddenly confused._

_Snowpaw stayed silent before hissing, "Look, if you would have rather drowned, that's fine with me." With a huff, the white apprentice stormed off._

That was it! Snowpaw was acting differently because Firepaw had yelled at him when he rescued her! She looked up to tell Dewpaw what she had figured out, but the dark gray tom was exiting camp with Snowpaw and Toadstep flanking him.

Firepaw sighed. She would have to tell him later.

The ginger tabby got to her paws, wincing as she felt her paws stiffen as they touched the dusty ground. She carefully stretched each of her legs, effectively loosening the pain in them, but not enough that she was perfectly fine.

"You seem like you need to stretch out your legs some more," a gentle voice commented, and Firepaw looked up to see the medicine cat apprentice, Lilypaw. Her dark brown and cream fur looked like it was glowing in the sunlight.

"Yeah," the ginger apprentice admitted. "What were you thinking I should do?"

"You should come collect herbs with me and Jayfeather!" the apprentice exclaimed, puffing out her cream-colored chest. "It'll get you on his good side, that's for sure!"

"Collect herbs?" Firepaw snorted.

Lilypaw frowned. "It's not that bad," she meowed quietly. "I just wanted to help."

Firepaw immediately regretted her words. "Oh, it's alright!" she said quickly, her tail lashing. "I can go collect herbs with you if you want."

The dark-furred she-cat's face immediately brightened. "Okay! I'll go get Jayfeather!" She turned around and sped off towards the medicine cat's den.

The ginger apprentice sighed, staring at her paws. What had she just gotten herself into? She hated herbs!

A moment later, Lilypaw returned, her blue eyes bright. An irritated Jayfeather walked alongside her, his fur fluffed up in obvious annoyance.

"Lilypaw told me you're coming with us just so you can stretch your legs," the gray tabby medicine cat meowed, flapping his long, fluffy tail behind him.

"Yes," Firepaw answered, her spine prickling.

"Then let's go," he hissed, twitching his whiskers angrily before turning around and padding towards the exit of camp. Firepaw and Lilypaw exchanged glances before following the angry gray tabby.

They stepped out into the forest, and Firepaw breathed in the fresh morning scent. Forgetting her earlier predicament with Snowpaw, her spirits were lifted. The sun glowed warm in the sky, lighting up Firepaw's pelt like a fire as she traversed through ThunderClan's territory. The apprentice purred, relishing the heat radiating on her fur.

Suddenly, Jayfeather stopped, making Firepaw ram into him. "Hey!" she hissed, fluffing up her fur angrily. "Why'd you stop?"

Jayfeather didn't respond; his whiskers twitched in the small breeze that blew through the forest, and his tail flicked gently. He sniffed the air, and then murmured something inaudible under his breath.

Lilypaw pressed closer to Firepaw. "He senses what herbs we're going to find," she muttered into the ginger she-cat's ear.

"Senses?" Firepaw asked, confused. "Can't he see the herbs?"

Lilypaw stiffened a bit, and her blue eyes dimmed slightly. The ginger apprentice's back prickled, thinking she had said something wrong. Relief flooded her when the medicine cat apprentice smiled again, returning to her usual self. "No, he was born blind," she meowed, flicking her tail.

"Oh." Firepaw pulled back and returned her gaze to Jayfeather, who now had a look of confirmation on his face. He turned his gray tabby head towards the two apprentices and nodded.

"The yarrow and marigold should be around here," the medicine cat meowed. He flicked his fluffy tail. "Firepaw, you search for marigold. They're yellow flowers. Do not go for anything else."

The ginger tabby apprentice bobbed her head, her golden eyes glowing, and then shot off into the trees, trying to find a yellow flower.

The sun blazed down unto the forest floor, making it feel cracked and dusty. Firepaw's fur felt hot, and her fur was frizzing up at the edges.

The ginger tabby apprentice puffed, her throat dry, and looked around, frantically searching for that flower now. She felt as if her fur was on fire!

Flashing out of the corner of her eye, Firepaw saw something red. She whipped around, her tail fluffing up slightly, but then dropped her posture when she saw what was there. Growing, red and bright upon a luscious green bush, were berries.

Hunger pierced her stomach, making Firepaw run forward with super speed. She skidded to a halt, kicking up dust in the process, and leaned her head down to sniff the red berries. They smelled good, and they looked good too.

Nodding her head, Firepaw opened her mouth, about to close it around the red berry when suddenly, a meow of shock made her drop back, gold eyes huge. The apprentice turned around, spotting Lilypaw on the far side of the clearing. Her blue eyes were wide with fear, and her dark pelt was bristling.

"Firepaw, did you eat one of those berries?" the medicine cat apprentice asked, her voice shaking.

"Um, n-no," Firepaw stuttered, instinctively backing away from the bush. "Why?"

"Those are death berries!" Lilypaw exclaimed, her whiskers twitching wildly. "One bite of those and you'll be dead!"

Firepaw reeled back in shock, her fur fluffing up in alarm. Shock tingled in her paws and her tail was bristling slightly. _I could have died!_

The dark-pelted medicine cat apprentice's tail was flicking, and she looked panicked for a moment before her frightened look slowly transformed into a calm composure. "Well, it's great you didn't eat one of them," Lilypaw meowed, her voice seeming to be smaller now. "Did you find any marigold?"

The apprentice shook her head, frowning. She hadn't seen any kind of flower around here, actually. Scanning around, Firepaw saw a few buds growing from a few bushes, but no yellow flowers.

"Oh." Lilypaw stared at her for a moment, and then whisked her tail, blowing a few stalks of flowers from behind her. "I found some yarrow."

Firepaw stared at the white flowers, blinking a bit before meowing, "Should I hurry and find the marigold before Jayfeather comes?"

Lilypaw snorted a bit, pawing the yarrow near her paws. "Of course you should."

* * *

Firepaw, Lilypaw, and Jayfeather arrived at camp, the herbs dangling from their mouths. The ginger apprentice looked around, spotting Amberpaw's gray and white pelt in the apprentice's den. She held back a laugh as she saw leaves showering her fur.

Jayfeather dropped the yarrow in his mouth, turning his blind blue gaze to Firepaw. "Good work," he meowed, twitching his whiskers.

Just then, she spotted Snowpaw stretch out of the medicine den. Firepaw's whiskers twitched in confusion, her fur prickling. _Nobody was in there… Jayfeather and Lilypaw were with me._

Dread pricked her paws. Snowpaw could have grabbed a dangerous herb in this sort of state. She wasn't even sure if he was right in the head anymore.

The white apprentice stopped, turning his head and staring at Firepaw with his cold, dark eyes. The ginger apprentice flinched back, dropping the herbs in her mouth in the process. Pinning her ears, Firepaw lowered her head to pick them back up.

Lilypaw looked at her strangely, her tail flicking, but then must have chose to ignore her. She carried her herbs over to the medicine den, dipping her head at Snowpaw. He only stared back, not even making a move to do anything.

Jayfeather sniffed the air for a moment before padding after his apprentice, his tabby pelt rippling in the light.

Firepaw stared after them, a cloud of confusion fogging her brain. _Snowpaw was in the medicine den… but why? _

Snowpaw finally blinked, padding his way towards the warriors den. Firepaw followed him with her eyes and spotted that he was heading towards Toadstep, his mentor.

…Didn't he already train with him today?

Shaking her head, Firepaw padded towards the apprentice's den, her legs filled with exhaustion. She would have to take a nap before finding out anything else. But, as she shifted into her moss-filled nest, she couldn't shake the thought of Snowpaw's dark, cold amber eyes.

**Whoa, end of chapter! I worked really hard on this, almost like three days combined xD If you see a typo, please tell me! I'll fix it immediately :3 Most of the typos should be at the end if there are any, since I kind of rushed that part lol~ Anyways, don't forget to review! **


	10. Chapter Nine: Well, Someone's Jealous

**Well, hello guys! It's been a while… a long while.. yeah, sorry about that XD I was being lazier than usual, and I hope to update way more often! So, without further ado, let's move on to the review replies!**

**FrostFall37: Wow, thanks! That's really nice of you to say o:**

**Leafsplash-Of-ThunderClan: Actually, I don't think Firepaw forgives Snowpaw for a long time.. it plays a big part near the somewhat end of the story, so.. XD Thank you!**

**Gingerstorm101: Actually, I haven't even finished Bramblestar's Storm yet, this is an after The Last Hope thing xD And you'll see!**

**Anyways, now on to the story!**

_Chapter Nine_

"_Watch where you're treading_, you mouse-brain!" Blossomfall hissed, her pelt fluffed up in displeasure.

Toadstep just muttered something under his breath, whisking his tail along the dusty brown path.

Firepaw snorted. She was on a hunting patrol with Blossomfall, Toadstep, Snowpaw, and Brackenfur. And so far, Toadstep kept stepping on her tortoiseshell mentor's tail, and she kept figuring out more bad names to call him each time. It grew old after a while.

Even Snowpaw's behavior had become boring, his cold gaze darting around the bright forest. Firepaw had grown used to the lump of fur being as cold as ice, and as angry as a badger.

Although she would've killed to have the old Snowpaw back.

But, in a way, she was still mad at him. He didn't care about her anymore, and that made her a bit annoyed. Even though him caring was the main reason Firepaw ever got mad at him in the first place.

It… was kind of confusing.

"Look!" Brackenfur's whisper brought Firepaw back to the present, and the tabby apprentice shook her head. She gazed at the golden-brown warrior and saw he was staring at a swaying clump of ferns. Detecting prey, she immediately crouched, narrowing her golden eyes at the green plants. A few moments later, a small, brown mouse emerged, holding a smooth, golden nut in its paws.

Firepaw's eyes brightened, and she stalked forwards, making sure her paws weren't making a sound. The trees swayed ominously above her as she prowled forward. The mouse was eyeing its nut, nibbling it every so often, so it didn't seem to notice Firepaw. When the apprentice felt she was close enough, she leaped.

The mouse squeaked in surprise once it noticed her, but it was too late. Firepaw sank her teeth into the small body of the brown creature and clamped down hard, drawing blood. The mouse let out a small, hoarse sound before falling limp in her jaws.

Toadstep bounded forward, shadows dappling his black and white pelt as he approached. "Great job!" he praised, his voice full of gratitude.

Firepaw ducked her head in slight embarrassment, dropping the dead mouse in the process. "It wasn't that hard," she meowed quietly. "A kit could have done it.."

"Oh, don't talk like that," Brackenfur meowed, his amber eyes glowing in approval. "You did great! That mouse didn't even see you coming."

Firepaw, although a bit overwhelmed, managed a sheepish smile at the two warriors. She cast her gold gaze towards Blossomfall, but she looked like she wasn't even paying attention to her. She was glaring at the back of Toadstep's head, her eyes filled with malice.

Snowpaw stood beside Blossomfall, eyeing Firepaw carefully. The tabby apprentice thought she saw a bit of the old him in the depths of his eyes, but it could have been a trick of the light.

Brackenfur padded forward and picked up the dead mouse in his jaws. He then dug a small hole, dropped the mouse inside, and brushed dust over it, covering it up. "That's what you do when you plan to catch more prey," the golden brown tabby warrior meowed, licking the dust off of his paws.

"We knew that already," Snowpaw commented, his paws shuffling on the ground. Firepaw turned to the snow-white apprentice and saw that some of his awkwardness was showing with the way he moved his paws. She smiled; that was good.

"I know that _you _knew," the golden tabby warrior replied, narrowing his eyes slightly. He turned his amber gaze to Firepaw and she flinched, her pelt bristling slightly.

Blossomfall stepped forward before Brackenfur could say anything else. She glared at him, her tail fluffing up. "Are you saying I'm not training Firepaw how to hunt?" she demanded. "She caught that mouse just fine!"

The warrior lashed his tail. "That isn't what I was saying at all," he meowed smoothly. "But she's a newer apprentice than Snowpaw is, so I thought maybe she wouldn't know."

"Well, she does know, and she doesn't need _you _showing her how it's done!" Blossomfall snarled.

_That's a lie_, Firepaw realized, looking between Blossomfall and Brackenfur. _Blossomfall has never taught me how to hunt… _She had seen enough of Snowpaw's hunting skills and learned from that. It may seem a bit ironic, but she always trained with him because of Blossomfall and Toadstep's relationship. They weren't really mates, but they were friends, and supposedly that was good enough.

Toadstep stepped forward, sweeping his black and white tail towards Blossomfall. "Calm down," he meowed lightly. "Brackenfur was just making sure… you understand, right?"

Blossomfall glared at him for a moment before she sighed, her tortoiseshell tail going back to its normal size. "I'm sorry," she muttered, looking at her paws.

Brackenfur backed off, dipping his head at her. There was an awkward silence in the air after that, if you ignored the birds fluttering and chirping overhead. Toadstep and Blossomfall were standing and staring at each other quietly, as if talking telepathically. Brackenfur had resorted to licking his paw, and Snowpaw sort of stood off to the side, his white pelt blowing in the slow breeze.

"Well, why don't we hunt?" Firepaw asked loudly, drawing the attention of the rest of the patrol members.

Blossomfall and Toadstep stopped their telepathic conversation and turned their heads towards the ginger tabby apprentice. "Alright," Toadstep meowed, padding forward until he was in the center of the hunting group. "Blossomfall and I will hunt along the lake," he ordered, "Brackenfur, Firepaw, and Snowpaw, you go deeper in the forest and hunt along the WindClan border. Watch out for WindClan warriors."

Firepaw's ear twitched in satisfaction. Since Brackenfur was also joining them, she wouldn't have to deal with Snowpaw alone. The hunting group setted off, Toadstep and Blossomfall heading towards the lake and Brackenfur, Snowpaw, and Firepaw going off towards the WindClan border.

The trees swayed in the wind as the three cats advanced through the forest, stepping on a few fallen branches on the way. But Firepaw wasn't really paying attention. She stared at the back of Snowpaw's head, deep in thought. _Snowpaw's been fine so far… or maybe he's preparing to snap or something…_

She was snapped out of her thoughts by accidentally ramming into Brackenfur as he stopped. Firepaw quickly meowed out a "Sorry!" as she shook her pelt.

Snowpaw glanced at her for a moment before returning his gaze back to staring at the landscape. Firepaw followed his gaze and saw a long, green moor. Her golden eyes widened in surprise. It looked never-ending!

"Does anyone live there?" the ginger apprentice breathed.

"Of course!" Snowpaw replied, looking at her again. His deep, amber eyes seemed to be indifferent, so it was difficult to tell if he was annoyed or not. "Doesn't Blossomfall teach you this stuff?" he continued. "You've been an apprentice for two moons already!"

"Actually, no," Firepaw muttered, lowering her head in embarrassment. Blossomfall had only been teaching her how to train, and that was it. Other than that one time she showed Firepaw the Sky Oak, Blossomfall had never brought her around the territory or marked borders. Apparently, it was a bit odd, but the apprentice had never really thought about the other Clans that much.

Brackenfur gave Snowpaw a warning glance, and then meowed carefully, "The moor is where WindClan lives. If you're lucky, you might see a patrol." The golden brown tabby warrior turned his head towards the moor, but it was silent, only the grass flowing through the wind and glowing a light green in the sunlight. "..I guess today isn't that day," he said after a short silence.

For some reason, Firepaw felt bothered by the silence of WindClan's territory. Had something happened there? She pricked her ears, but only a still silence met them. How… _spooky_.

Surprisingly, Snowpaw was the one to break the silence. "Well, are we going to hunt or not?" he mewed, his whiskers twitching impatiently. "We can't worry about WindClan all day."

"True," Brackenfur sighed, shaking his bright pelt. "Firepaw and Snowpaw, you go left and I'll follow you in the bushes. I want to assess you two."

While Snowpaw's eyes brightened in excitement, Firepaw's fur pricked with confusion. _An… assessment? But I was only apprenticed two moons ago! Blossomfall hasn't even taught me how to hunt properly!_

Shaking her head, the ginger apprentice padded in the direction Brackenfur had ordered, Snowpaw trailing after her. Swallowing her last ounce of fear, she quickened her pace, rushing along the side of WindClan's moor.

* * *

Firepaw settled near the fresh-kill pile, opening her jaws in a yawn. It was only just a while after sunhigh, but she felt more tired than ever after that hunting patrol. She had managed to catch a small, scrawny sparrow, but Brackenfur felt bad and allowed her to pass. Firepaw still felt it was a bit unfair, since Snowpaw caught two mice and a squirrel and just barely passed. But she supposed if Brackenfur, a senior warrior, had done it, then her father would've done the same.

Firepaw got to her paws, stretching, and then selected a bird from the fresh-kill pile. She settled down again, licking her lips as she stared down at the plump black bird. Just as she was about to take a bite, she was prodded by a paw. Looking up in annoyance, she saw Blossomfall staring down at her, her green eyes narrowed to slits.

The ginger tabby apprentice immediately scrambled to her paws. "Uh, yes, Blossomfall?" she asked quickly, her fur fluffing up.

"I need to show you something," the tortoiseshell replied, sitting down on her haunches. "It's very important."

"Does it have anything to do with special training?" Firepaw asked, dropping her voice to a whisper.

"No, it's a surprise," her mentor meowed, turning around and heading towards the thorn barrier. She lashed her tail, indicating that Firepaw should follow. The ginger apprentice forgot her black bird and dashed after her mentor, her paws thrumming against the ground.

The two cats raced through the forest, passing by many trees along the way. Firepaw couldn't help but admit that she felt alive, running through a wide space.

Suddenly, Blossomfall skidded to a halt, almost sending Firepaw crashing into her. The ginger tabby managed to stop just in time, although with a small hiss of annoyance when she stepped on a sharp pebble. Carefully licking her paw pad, Firepaw looked up to see the lake, although a bit higher than before. It splashed roughly along the shore, leaving dark brown sand as the water went back to the lake.

"This is what I wanted to show you," Blossomfall meowed, walking behind Firepaw and settling down. "The lake is rising. We can use this to our advantage."

"Advantage? How?" the ginger tabby asked, an edge of disbelief on her voice.

"Toadstep was talking to me earlier," Blossomfall continued, ignoring Firepaw. "He knew about our training, Firepaw. He… he said I was a terrible mentor…"

Firepaw's ears pricked. _Toadstep said that? _In her heart, she felt a bit of truth to the black and white warrior's words. But in the back of her mind, Firepaw felt a bit bad for her mentor. She may have pushed her around before, but now, she just looked broken, her green eyes glowing in desperation.

"I don't want him to think bad of me like that," Blossomfall said, looking like she was about to choke up. "I… Firepaw, I like him too much…"

That nearly broke Firepaw's heart. She hesitated for a moment, and then padded towards her tortoiseshell mentor, her eyes filled with sorrow. "Blossomfall, I-"

Suddenly, her mentor's eyes blazed with anger, and she let out a low hiss. Blossomfall tucked her head, and then charged.

Firepaw barely had time to react. Blossomfall knocked into her, unbalancing her off her paws. She fell into the lake's churning water.

"It's all _your _fault!" she thought she heard Blossomfall snarl. Her tortoiseshell mentor pressed her paws against Firepaw's shoulders, holding her below water. The ginger apprentice flailed, seafoam bubbles swarming around her.

As she struggled longer and longer, she felt exhaustion weighing her down, and her long fur didn't exactly help either. She thought she saw Blossomfall push harder, but Firepaw couldn't feel her mentor's paws anymore. She choked in the water for a moment longer before losing consciousness.

**Whooo, long chapter! And a cliffhanger… xD Hope you guys aren't mad, I promise I won't make the next chapter's ending a cliffhanger! Anyways, like it? Hate it? Review and tell me what you think!**

**~Orangeflight of ShadowClan**


	11. Chapter Ten: A Few Changes

**Hello, and welcome to chapter ten of Lucky! :3 Today is Valentine's Day, and I said on DeviantArt that I would update, so I am! In this chapter, we learn what happened to Firepaw after Blossomfall attempted to drown her! Now, on to the replies~**

**The Golden Compass: Thank you! And here's your update! ^^**

**Frostfall37: Lol, it's okay! And thanks! ^^**

**Leafsplash-Of-ThunderClan: Thank you so much! And yeah, Blossomfall is a bit conflicted because of her experience in the Dark Forest, and it's changed her a lot… I actually really feel bad and angry at her at the same time, although I think she starts getting a bit nicer… not really sure if she will, but I'll see! And I really ship Toadstep and Blossomfall as well, and they really need more fanfics about them ;-; Here's your update, and I hope you like it!**

**WyldClaw: You'll see :3 And thanks for all of the reviews! ^^**

**Alright, now on to the chapter!**

_Chapter Ten_

_Firepaw stared into churning water as it roughly splashed along in huge waves, sweeping off things on the shore. Her reflection flickered and grew distorted as she continued staring, and suddenly, the dark water splashed at her paws. The ginger apprentice let out a startled yelp as she flew into the water._

_Bubbles swarmed around her, seeming to close in on her. Firepaw struggled to get back to the surface, but it seemed like something was pushing down on her. The apprentice flailed, spreading even more bubbles around her. She lost consciousness, sinking down into the water's dark depths._

…

_Firepaw was in a forest, running along a dirt path as sunlight streamed her ginger pelt. Her paws suddenly skidded to a halt, kicking up dust. She swung her head around, looking for prey. She spotted a swaying fern plant, rustling every now and then. She lowered herself to her paws, stalking forward. A bird tweeted from inside the ferns, and Firepaw smiled. She leaped, catching the bird within her claws. _

_The bird squawked in surprise, trying to twist out of her grip, but Firepaw's hold was firm. She pushed the bird down to the ground, digging her silver claws into it. The bird's cries became weaker and weaker until it went limp._

"_Great job!" a voice exclaimed._

_Firepaw turned to see who praised her, but suddenly a wave of dizziness crashed into her and everything disappeared in a swirl of black._

…

"_The fire has been quenched by water!" a loud, distressed voice exclaimed. _

_A bright white light enveloped Firepaw's vision, blinding her for a moment. When she could open her eyes, she was met with a starlit field. She was surrounded by millions of starry cats all looking up at a tall rock. Firepaw lifted her golden gaze, and saw a blue-gray tabby she-cat sitting on it, seeming a bit transparent as stars lightened her pelt._

"_The fire shall never be quenched!" another voice argued. Firepaw searched for the source of the voice, but no cat looked like they had said anything._

_Firepaw looked down at her paws and nearly yowled in surprise. Stars glistened around her paws and she could see the grass _through them_. Was she dead?_

"_The fire will save the Clans!" another voice announced, and a huge, ginger tabby tom stalked forward, his yellow eyes narrowed. "I've seen the future. Fire will not be quenched!"_

_Firepaw's ears twitched slightly in annoyance. Why were all the cats talking about this "fire" in a royal sort of way? And why didn't she know who this "fire" was?_

_Suddenly, one of the cats, a spotted gray tom, turned to her. But his blue eyes didn't have pupils. They just glowed ominously in the dim light._

_Firepaw tried to take a step back, but her paws wouldn't move. The tom's blue eyes seemed to be pulling her in, drawing her even closer…_

_She took a step forward without even realizing it, and another, and another…_

_Her vision flashed sky blue, swirling around like puffs of clouds. A new wave of dizziness swept along her, but before she lost consciousness, a voice whispered dramatically._

"_The fire will blaze through the Clans, leaving a trail of secrets behind. The darkness will rise, and only the light of the crackling fire can stop it…"_

…

Firepaw snapped awake. Sunlight streamed through her eyelids, blinding her for a few moments. When she could finally see, the first thing she realized was that the moss under her was soaking wet. And her pelt felt as if it had been licked, but she didn't remember anything of the sort.

What happened?

Suddenly, everything came back to her. The "important place", Blossomfall talking about Toadstep, and how her mentor had pushed her into the lake and held her underwater. A flash of anger swept through her but it was immediately replaced with a small breeze of cold. She coughed, curling her tail around herself in an attempt to warm herself.

As she laid shivering in her nest, her dreams started to fill up her mind. They were all muddled and confusing, but the last one stood out the most.

_The fire will blaze through the Clans, leaving a trail of secrets behind. The darkness will rise, and only the light of the crackling fire can stop it…_

Why did that phrase seem so familiar? Firepaw wracked her brain for any clues, but couldn't find anything.

Firepaw sat on the water-soaked moss bed, contemplating, so she didn't even notice when Lilypaw came padding in, a bundle of herbs in her jaws. But as soon as the dark brown she-cat noticed her, she let out a meow of surprise, dropping the green plants.

The ginger tabby apprentice jumped, swiveling her head towards the source of noise. When she saw Lilypaw, her eyes widened. "Umm…" she mumbled, not knowing what to say at all.

"You're awake!" the medicine cat apprentice exclaimed, ignoring her awkwardness and rushing towards her. "Jayfeather said you were going to die, but I didn't believe him! Jayfeather, Firepaw's awake!"

The irritated gray tabby tom came lumbering out of a small patch of ferns inside the medicine den. "What do you want?" he asked in annoyance. But he then sniffed the air. His sightless blue eyes widened in surprise, and then turned his head towards Firepaw. "You're awake," he breathed.

"Um, yes," Firepaw meowed, slightly creeped out that Jayfeather knew exactly where she was sitting. Another shiver passed through her fur, reminding her of her chill, and sneezed.

"Oh, you need tansy, don't you!" Lilypaw exclaimed, picking up one of the flowers by her paws. "Here. Luckily, I just brought some from the forest!"

"Great observation, Lilypool," Jayfeather commented, a rare small smile plastered on his face. "Give some to Firepaw and I'll prepare poppy seeds for later."

The dark brown and cream-furred she-cat nodded to him as he disappeared farther into the den. She picked up one of the tansy flowers and then padded towards Firepaw. "You'll need these to relieve your cold," the apprentice meowed.

Firepaw wasn't listening though. "You got your full medicine cat name?" she asked, surprise edging her voice.

"Of course! Weren't you-oh, right." Lilypool looked down at the tansy flower laying at her paws, watching as a small breeze ruffled its petals. She then returned her gaze to Firepaw, her blue eyes void of emotion. "You should probably eat the tansy," she muttered, and then turned away, padding outside of the den.

Firepaw stared after her, confusion clouding her golden gaze. How had she been able to get her medicine cat name? It hadn't been that long… had it?

Deciding to ignore the dilemma for now, she crouched and chewed on a tansy petal. It was sweet on her tongue, calming Firepaw and relaxing her now bushy fur. She swallowed, the small bits of leaf sliding gracefully down her throat. She still shivered occasionally, but most of her cough had gone.

Firepaw wanted to settle down and do nothing all day, exhaustion weighing her down, but then realized her moss was still wet. _Probably from when I was dragged out of the water, _she thought, but then confusion hit her like a monster. _Wait… who _did _save me_?

She struggled to her paws, dizziness sweeping through her before she could even take a step. Firepaw blinked her gold eyes, trying to keep her balance. After a moment, she was finally able to get outside of the medicine den. She flinched at the bright sunlight as it shined down on her, brightening her tabby pelt to a bright fire-like color.

When Firepaw could finally see, she saw cats moving about normally, except for Snowpaw, who kept glancing at the apprentice's den with his usual nervous expression.

Firepaw squinted. _Wait..._

_His _usual _nervous expression? _

Before Firepaw could investigate this even further, a loud yowl of surprise reached her ears. She turned her head to the source and saw Squirrelflight racing towards her, her green eyes wide with relief.

"Firepaw!" she cried, nuzzling her daughter. "I thought you were dead when Blossomfall brought you here!"

"I'm fine, Squirrelflight," the ginger tabby apprentice purred, managing to miss her mother's last words. "I'm sorry to worry you."

The dark ginger deputy pulled away, her green eyes scolding. "What were you doing in the lake, anyway?" Squirrelflight tsked. "You couldn't have just walked by there and _fallen _in."

Firepaw stared at Squirrelflight seriously, frowning. The apprentice caught her reflection in Squirrelflight's green eyes, noticing her weary and frazzled appearance. Seeing this, Firepaw faltered, her gaze losing her serious look and being replaced by sadness and disappointment. "Squirrelflight, I… I can't tell you. I'm sorry…." she meowed, guilt welling up inside of her.

"You _can _tell me!" her mother meowed, a demanding tone edging her voice. "I need to know why you were drowning in that lake! Why were you near the lake? Were you even _with _Blossomfall?"

Firepaw remained silent, staring at the ground. She wouldn't-no, she _couldn't_-tell Squirrelflight. If Blossomfall found out, it would mean big trouble for her. Maybe nearly drowning her was her warning, of sorts. Who knew what her mentor's real attack would be…?

"Firepaw," Squirrelflight growled, but before she could finish speaking, Bramblestar's loud yowl interrupted her.

"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the High-Rock!"

Cats came out of their respective dens, all of them looking at least a little surprised. In a way, Firepaw was too. _What would there need to be a meeting for? Unless something happened while I was unconscious… _The tabby apprentice looked around, but no one around her had a look of understanding on their face. _...but I highly doubt it…._

Squirrelflight glanced at Firepaw for a moment before padding away into the crowd. The apprentice gazed after her, still silent. Tension was prickling within her pelt, and she dug her claws into the ground in slight frustration.

"Firepaw!" a voice cried out in excitement. The tabby apprentice turned around to spot Dewpaw, running towards her with Snowpaw and Amberpaw in tow. Amberpaw was following behind him at a steady pace, but Firepaw could see the excitement in her gaze. Meanwhile, Snowpaw looked extremely nervous, but he attempted to at least catch up to his littermates.

"Hi Dewpaw!" Firepaw meowed, trying to mask the worry swirling within her about her true fate.

"We were worried about you!" Dewpaw exclaimed, skidding to a halt in front of the younger apprentice. The dark gray apprentice leaned in closer, and as he said his next words, his breath brushed her muzzle. "Snowpaw especially."

Firepaw flinched back, and then glared at Dewpaw as his amber eyes brightened in amusement. "What? Just telling the truth," he purred, just about literally basking in his "victory".

"Whatever," Firepaw scoffed, feeling a small wave of dizziness hit her. But she shook it off as soon as she noticed Amberpaw approaching with Snowpaw trailing behind. "Hey, Amberpaw!" she exclaimed, blatantly ignoring Snowpaw.

Amberpaw just smiled calmly, her gray and white fur sticking out in a few places. Snowpaw stopped next to his sister and gazed at Firepaw, nervousness sparking off of him like electricity. He gave the younger apprentice a small smile… well, tried to anyway. It came out more like a grimace.

A silence persisted for a few moments before Dewpaw spoke up again. "Well, I'm going to sit next to Seedcloud," he meowed, looking distracted. Firepaw followed his gaze and saw the ginger warrior talking to Rosepetal and Mousewhisker. Before the ginger apprentice could question his motives, the dark gray tom had already headed off towards the group.

Amberpaw followed her brother with her deep amber eyes, and then looked at Firepaw. "He's convinced that Seedcloud likes him," she meowed, annoyance lacing her tone. "I might as well go with him to make sure he doesn't make a fool out of himself."

"Alright, bye," Firepaw meowed, mentally making a note of what Dewpaw thought. It could come in handy one day.

When Amberpaw had walked away, the apprentice turned to Snowpaw, seeing that his dark eyes were huge with apprehension. He immediately jumped to his paws once he caught her gaze. "I-I… um, I should leave, shouldn't I? I have places to be, meetings to-"

"Snowpaw, shut up," Firepaw muttered, turning away from the white apprentice. "You can sit here if you want."

"R-really?" Firepaw had _no _idea why he had stuttered there, but she really didn't want to turn around to find out. "Th-thanks, Firepaw…."

Snowpaw settled beside the she-cat, and by then, all the cats had gathered, clustered around in a huge group. Bramblestar looked around for a moment, and then took a deep breath.

"I'm sure you're all aware of what happened with Firepaw?" the dark tabby leader meowed, his eyes catching his daughter's. He smiled at her, but then frowned, his eyes holding a strange emotion. It was something that Firepaw couldn't see from her distance.

Low murmurs erupted through the Clan, some exchanging looks at Firepaw.

"Well, we have no idea why she was near the lake!" a voice called out. Firepaw recognized it as Toadstep's. "Blossomfall said that she wasn't with her at the time."

Firepaw immediately bristled, trying to spot her mentor's tortoiseshell pelt in the crowd. _That's a lie! _She finally saw Blossomfall, sitting next to Lionblaze, Cloudtail, and Cherryfeather. She gave her the best glare she could, but her mentor wasn't paying attention. She was eyeing Toadstep.

Firepaw sighed, only bringing her attention back to the meeting when her father spoke again. "Yes, great point, Toadstep." Bramblestar turned his amber gaze to his daughter, looking at her carefully. "Firepaw… tell the Clan why you were by that lake."

Firepaw was speechless. First, she was _terrible _at proving a point when there were a lot of cats around. And second, she couldn't just tell the truth! She turned to Blossomfall, and saw that she was looking at her pensively, although she managed to look angry at the same time. Firepaw gulped, remembering what she had told her a few moons ago. She _couldn't _tell the truth. Not at all. She dug her claws into the ground, her thoughts flashing back to her near-drowning experience.

Firepaw swallowed nervously, digging her claws deeper into the dirt. While she couldn't tell the truth, she couldn't make up a lie on the spot either. "I-I… umm…" she stuttered.

"What's wrong?" yelled an irritated voice, and the apprentice recognized it as Spiderleg. The black and brown tom looked angry, his fur bristling and his tail lashing. "Out with it, already!"

"I agree!" Thornclaw yowled. "She's going to have us here all day if she takes _this _long!"

Mumbles spread through the Clan like wildfire, but this only succeeded to make Firepaw more nervous. She looked down at the ground, her gold gaze dim.

"Hey, don't let them get to you," Snowpaw whispered before sending an angry look at Spiderleg and Thornclaw. "Leave her alone!" he hissed. "She can't talk if you're yelling at her!"

Firepaw blinked, shocked. Snowpaw _never _stood up to anyone. Maybe he wasn't back to normal yet…

"Oh yeah, apprentice? You can't tell me what to do!" Spiderleg retorted.

Snowpaw's fur bristled, and his dark eyes flashed with so much anger that a fox would've backed away from him. Firepaw could only watch with wide eyes. It was as if a brave cat suddenly got sucked into his body! "You're one to talk, Spider_paw_!" he sneered.

"Why I oughta-"

"Stop!" Bramblestar yowled, interrupting Spiderleg's words. "Spiderleg, you're a warrior! Show something good to the apprentices, not a fight! And Snowpaw," the dark brown tabby leader turned towards the now confused apprentice, "you and Spiderleg will both be checking the elders for ticks for a moon!"

"H-Huh?" Snowpaw stammered, his eyes huge. "B-But I didn't-"

"Anyway," Bramblestar interrupted, "Firepaw, tell the Clan what happened."

Firepaw took another deep breath. "Alright…" After thinking for a few moments, she decided she would just jump straight to the point instead of making up some insane story. "I was walking by the lake when a huge gust of wind blew me into the water."

The Clan was silent for a moment. Blossomfall glared at Firepaw, as if daring her to change what she had said. After the silence, Molewhisker spoke up. "Is that all?"

Firepaw nodded, trying to seem serious. "Yes."

Another moment of silence ensued, before Molewhisker burst out laughing. "W-Wow!" he sputtered, breathing heavily and trying to control his laughter. "I had no idea you were that clumsy!"

"I-It wasn't clumsy!" Firepaw shot back, embarrassment washing over her. "The wind caught me off guard!"

Molewhisker only laughed harder.

When the laughter finally ceased, Bramblestar spoke up again. "Well, I suppose leaf-fall is coming in a few moons…. For now, do not stray too close to the lake." He stood up straighter. "Spiderleg and Snowpaw, remember your punishments, and meeting dismissed!" He headed back into his den.

Snowpaw was still distraught at the whole situation. "F-Firepaw, what did I do?" he asked, seeing Spiderleg approach him.

"That's what you get for causing an argument," Firepaw muttered, whisking her tail.

"Come on, apprentice!" Spiderleg growled when he was in front of Snowpaw. He shoved him with his shoulder angrily. "Let's go."

Snowpaw looked at Firepaw nervously before following the black warrior to the medicine cat's den to get mouse-bile.

Firepaw couldn't help but ponder about Snowpaw's seemingly new personality. He was shy and nervous one moment, and then brave and angry the next. And he seemed to forget ever being angry about anything when he was shy again. The only positive thing about that was that he was now somewhat not bothering her anymore. But….

She watched as Snowpaw and Spiderleg exited the medicine den with the mouse-bile. Snowpaw seemed out of it and Spiderleg looked as if he would kill someone at any moment.

Maybe this change wasn't good at all.

**I think this chapter is insanely long now so I'll end it here…. I was going to do a Valentine's Day special but I got lazy at the last minute :( So, I guess this is all I'll give you. At least the chapter's really long (I think so, I didn't count the words xD). **

**Anyways, how'd you like this chapter? Good, bad, okay, weird? Tell me in a review! :3**

**~Orangeflight of ShadowClan**


	12. Chapter Eleven: Current (Missing) Events

**Sorry for the late chapter again! I took a sort of unofficial break and started reading fanfics instead of writing this one… so, I hope my readers are still here! Anyways, on to the review replies!**

**Lightningstar-of-NightClan: Yeah, I'll admit, Firepaw's lie was a bit weird… xD But yeah, I've almost got swept off by wind as well. And yeah, Spiderleg was acting like a jerk, but Snowpaw… yeah, he was a jerk too xD Anyways, here's the chapter!**

**Birdcry (Guest): Thanks for following! And here's your update :)**

**Leafy: Firepaw will get to tell the truth sometime around the middle of this story, but I'm not sure. I'm still kind of planning this story xD Thank you and here's your update!**

**Okay, now to the chapter! :D**

_Chapter Eleven_

_Firepaw watched as the _steady activity of the camp slowed as the sun set, casting an orange glow on the ground. Berrynose and Poppyfrost chatted eagerly near the warriors den, but Firepaw noticed the weariness in their talk and the slowness of their reactions. Spiderleg and Snowpaw emerged from the elders den, their paws covered in mouse bile. Their noses were wrinkled, but that was all Firepaw could see before they left the camp together, probably to wash their paws in the stream.

Hazeltail was sitting in front of the nursery, Whitewing and Cinderheart flanking her. Earlier, she had announced that she was pregnant with Thornclaw's kits, and was moved to the nursery to become a queen. Her belly was a little swollen, but Firepaw thought she could go on with being a warrior for at least another moon. Maybe Thornclaw was just nervous.

Sighing, Firepaw shifted in her nest in the medicine den. She sneezed again and her insides chilled slightly before the feeling went away. She still hadn't recovered from her near-drowning experience, so she was still stuck in a den full of herbs. Lilypool had assumed she had white-cough, but Jayfeather just replied that she had a cold since she was sneezing.

Just thinking about white-cough made her paws shake slightly in fear. Firepaw had never been sick before, and getting used to it would be weird. But she knew that whitecough could turn into greencough, and then into blackcough. Firepaw shivered, sneezing again.

While she sat there, she was reminded unsteadily of her dreams. One in particular.

_"The fire will blaze through the Clans, leaving a trail of secrets behind. The darkness will rise, and only the light of the crackling fire can stop it…"_

But what did that _mean_? It seemed like the answer was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't reach it. Firepaw growled in irritation, accidentally flicking a misplaced clump of moss out of her nest with her tail.

She couldn't just sit here brooding about this. Firepaw glared at the ground. She had to figure out what this meant, before it drove her off the edge.

As she sat there, a sudden realization struck her.

_I'll just talk to Bramblestar about it! He'll know, won't he?_

As if answering her prayers, Firepaw heard the pitter-patter of pawsteps coming her way. She turned excitedly, expecting to see her father, but then frowned when she realized it was just Jayfeather coming back from gathering herbs. He held four small, black oval-shaped seeds in his jaws.

Firepaw watched as the gray tabby medicine cat stopped in front of her and dropped one of the seeds. Carefully lowering the other seeds to the ground near his paws, he pushed the single seed forward. "Eat it," Jayfeather instructed. "It's a poppy seed. It will help you sleep."

"I don't need help sleeping," Firepaw retorted, glaring at the medicine cat. But then to contradict her, she sneezed.

"Oh, I'm sure," Jayfeather replied sarcastically. He then picked up the other poppy seeds and padded deeper into his den.

Firepaw stared at where he had disappeared to before huffing in annoyance. She struggled to her paws, ignoring the poppy seed, and stepped outside, the sunset's rays bathing her fur in a bright light. She had to talk to Bramblestar, whether Jayfeather liked it or not.

But before she could even move, Jayfeather's voice echoed through the medicine den. "Firepaw, don't even think about leaving. If you sneeze on a cat, then _they'll _be sick. Just go to your nest, eat the poppy seed, and _go to sleep_."

Annoyance prickled in her paw pads, but Firepaw begrudgingly returned back to the medicine den and settled down in her nest again. She leaned towards the poppy seed and picked it up in her jaws. She chewed it, frowning at the taste, before swallowing.

Feeling heavier, Firepaw shifted in the moss before finally getting into a comfortable position. Her eyelids slowly drooped, and before she drifted off into a black abyss, she thought one last thing:

_I'll talk to Bramblestar later…_

* * *

"...Firepaw was lying…"

"...you sure? She could've been…"

"...lied to me right on the spot! She…"

Firepaw silently flicked her ears in annoyance. _It's too early for cats to already be awake! _She slowly opened one golden eye, her whiskers twitching slightly. With a jolt of surprise, she realized that the cats talking were Bramblestar and Squirrelflight. They seemed as if they were arguing.

"Can you stop shouting? You'll wake up Firepaw!" Bramblestar growled, his fur bristling.

"Says the one who _is _shouting!" Squirrelflight retorted angrily.

Firepaw immediately closed her eye. She couldn't have her parents arguing without knowing the reason why. And if she wanted to know the reason, she'd have to eavesdrop.

"I can't have you accusing Firepaw of lying!" Bramblestar fired back, but his voice had notably dropped to a softer tone. "If she says the wind picked her up, I believe her!"

"But she sounded so unsure of herself when she was talking to me!" Squirrelflight meowed, her voice softer too. "I don't know… but Bramblestar, I don't want to make you angry."

Firepaw's breath caught in her throat. They were talking about her! She immediately perked her ears, although slow so that her parents wouldn't notice.

"She did seem a bit nervous," Bramblestar meowed finally, and a sound that sounded suspiciously like his tail lashing vibrated in Firepaw's ears. "Maybe she was lying…"

Firepaw unconsciously unsheathed her claws. _They found out! _She _had _been lying, but it was for the sake of her life, and perhaps the Clan too. _If they tell the Clan, Blossomfall will rip me to shreds!_

There was a small shifting noise in the air, and Firepaw could only assume that Squirrelflight and Bramblestar were now pressed together. "Maybe she'll tell us," Squirrelflight murmured, and with a slight flinch, Firepaw felt her mother's gaze bore into her pelt.

"And maybe she's awake, listening to our conversation," Bramblestar meowed in a knowing tone. He flicked Firepaw's shoulder with his tail. "Come on, open your eyes. I know you're awake."

She could've pretended she wasn't and ignored him, right then and there. But with a sigh, Firepaw opened her eyes. Bramblestar was looking at her in slight amusement and shock, while Squirrelflight looked irritated.

"If you were listening, tell us why you lied!" her mother spat, her ginger fur bristling slightly.

Firepaw flinched, but before she could respond, Jayfeather's annoyed voice rang through the air. "What's going on here?"

The three cats turned their heads to see Jayfeather and Briarlight. The gray tabby medicine cat looked irritated, his sightless blue eyes glaring at them as if he could see them. The crippled dark brown she-cat looked confused, glancing at Bramblestar and Squirrelflight.

Bramblestar stepped forward, his amber gaze steady. "We were just leaving," he meowed, throwing a quick glance at Squirrelflight.

Squirrelflight nodded. "Yeah," she said quietly, stealing a glance at Firepaw before turning around and padding out of the den. Bramblestar reluctantly followed.

Briarlight stared after them for a moment, and then dragged herself away, skidding the ground along the way. But Jayfeather still lingered, his blind blue eyes staring at Firepaw. Silently, he padded deeper into his den and then returned a few moments later with another poppy seed.

"It's too early for you to be awake," the tabby medicine cat mumbled around the seed, and then placed it onto the ground, pushing it towards Firepaw. "Eat this and you'll go back to sleep again."

"But I'm hungry," the apprentice meowed, staring at the seed disdainfully, "and a poppy seed tastes _terrible_!"

"Well, suck it up then," Jayfeather snapped. "You don't always get everything you want, you know."

Firepaw growled. She moved to push the poppy seed away, but suddenly, Jayfeather's paw stopped her. In a flash, the black seed was in her mouth.

The ginger apprentice struggled to spit the seed out, but Jayfeather's hold was firm. Finally, her teeth chewed the poppy seed and she swallowed reluctantly.

Immediately, the crashing darkness approached her again. Firepaw just barely noticed Jayfeather leave before she fell asleep once again.

* * *

"_About Snowpaw…"_

"_Yes, we'll talk about him later. Firepaw might be listening in again."_

"_...Okay. Can we talk at moonhigh?"_

"_Sure, sounds good."_

Firepaw's ears twitched, slightly waking up before the lulling darkness gently pulled her back into sleeping.

**Okay, this was more of a filler chapter than anything, so sorry about it being short! Next chapter, the real action starts ;D A bit of Dewpaw x Seedcloud next chapter as well, but it's mostly one-sided… oh well! Anyways, did you like it? Hate it? Tell me in a review! **


	13. Chapter Twelve: The Dark Forest Theory

**Okay, I lied when I said a bit of Dewpaw x Seedcloud… I meant a lot xD It's actually pretty much the basis of this chapter and for that, I am ashamed…**

**...Just kidding xD**

**The second, actual basis of this chapter is the Dark Forest. Which explains the title of this chapter… also, please read those if you don't already, it helps with the chapter if you don't feel like finding the main plot of that specific chapter in the text. :D Well, anyways…**

**I was going to upload this chapter when I got a new laptop. It stopped working on Easter, and I've been upset ever since. But I decided to transfer stuff to my computer and I suppose that worked… xD**

**Well, now for the review replies!**

**Lightningstar-of-NightClan: Yes, last chapter actually was important ;) Here's the next chapter!**

**LOVE IT (Guest-Chapter 1): I'm glad you liked it so much! :) Hope you liked the whole story too, haha.. xD**

**Anyway, sorry for this super long auther note. I made up for it by making this a super long chapter. :) So, here's chapter twelve!**

_Chapter Twelve_

"_Here, Firepaw!" Dewpaw meowed, _dropping a thrush by her paws. It had been exactly one moon since Firepaw had nearly drowned, and after three days worth of being sick, she had gotten better. She then resumed her warrior training, Blossomfall being as mean as ever, but she never did try to hurt her again, which she was thankful for.

Seedcloud sat beside Dewpaw, her fluffy ginger tail wrapped around her paws. The dark gray apprentice spared her a glance before turning back to Firepaw, raising his voice. "We have to be ready!"

"Thanks," Firepaw purred, looking at the prey hungrily. Tomorrow at sunhigh, her, Bramblestar, Snowpaw, Dewpaw, and Amberpaw would all be going to the Moonpool. Excitement tingled in her paws. She had been awaiting this moment ever since she was just a kit. Knowing that StarClan was just a day's travel away always sent joyful shivers down her spine.

Seedcloud purred at her. "You must be really excited, Firepaw. I remember when I went to the Moonpool with Lilypool." The pale ginger warrior slightly turned her head, looking at the medicine den. "She was training to be a warrior back then. I still don't know why she chose to become a medicine cat…"

"I'm excited too!" Dewpaw cut in before Firepaw could say anything.

Seedcloud turned to Dewpaw, her fur prickling slightly. "That's great," she meowed apprehensively.

Dewpaw ignored her hostility and blinked lovingly up at her. "I'll keep watch over everyone in the whole group!" he said, puffing out his chest. "Even Bramblestar!"

The ginger warrior rolled her eyes in annoyance while Firepaw barely managed to stifle a purr of amusement. The apprentice still thought it was hilarious that Dewpaw had a crush on Seedcloud, and Seedcloud wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. The thought had, surprisingly, helped her sleep when she was still sick.

"Dewpaw!" The dark gray apprentice looked up to see Amberpaw and Snowpaw standing side-by-side near the exit to camp. Amberpaw had been the one to call to him. "Come on! Our mentors said we could all take a walk!"

Dewpaw's ears twitched in excitement at this, and he called back, "Okay! I'll be right there!" He turned to Seedcloud, his amber gaze bright, and he got a moony look in his eyes. "Do you wanna come with us, Seedcloud?" he asked.

"No," the warrior meowed rather rudely. Seedcloud turned around and padded off towards Squirrelflight so she could get assigned to a patrol. She didn't look back once.

Firepaw turned to Dewpaw, and saw his tail drooping. But when the dark gray tom caught her gaze, he brightened up again. "Hey! Maybe I'll see Seedcloud on patrol on my walk!" he said in excitement, but there was a low tone of disappointment in his voice.

The ginger apprentice just nodded at him, and then lowered herself to the ground so she was eye-level with her thrush. She took a bite out of it, savoring the warmth that spread through her body. Purring, Firepaw took another bite of her prey.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by Dewpaw's voice. "...Do you want to come with us, then?"

Firepaw blinked, slightly astonished, before quickly finishing off the thrush. "Sure!" she meowed, spitting out a few feathers in the process. She jumped to her paws, licked her muzzle, and padded towards Amberpaw and Snowpaw, Dewpaw following behind.

Snowpaw flinched back when he saw Firepaw approaching, and Amberpaw merely blinked kindly at her. Feeling slightly unnerved, the ginger apprentice glanced at Amberpaw, who had given her a kinder reaction. But before she could even make a sound, Snowpaw turned and raced into the forest.

"A-ah…" Amberpaw muttered in confusion, "I guess he wanted a head-start."

Firepaw and Dewpaw exchanged a bewildered glance before the trio of apprentices set off into the forest after Snowpaw.

A few moments later, they caught up to him. Snowpaw was gazing at something intently, his muscles bunched up as if he was about to spring. Firepaw stepped forward to see what he was looking at, but only saw a maple bush swaying in the wind, its leaves scattering everywhere.

"What is it?" Amberpaw asked from behind them, her tone curious.

Firepaw glanced at Snowpaw, but his dark amber eyes were unreadable. His gaze never wavered from the maple bush.

"I-I… don't know," Firepaw meowed, looking at the maple bush again as if she was going to see a sign. But nothing changed. It was the same bush, with the same pointed, green leaves floating through the gentle breeze.

Dewpaw nudged Snowpaw, but it was to no avail. The white apprentice's intense gaze never changed, and it seemed as if the air around him was filled with tension. But what for? There's nothing hostile about a maple bush…

Suddenly, Snowpaw's expression changed, and his tail twitched anxiously. "Sorry!" he meowed, taking a small step back.

"What was that about?" Dewpaw demanded, his fur fluffing up. "And why did you run off?"

Snowpaw turned to face his brother. His face was emotionless, but his eyes told a whole different story. He looked… Firepaw squinted a bit. He was… _panicked_? Panicked about what?

"It's nothing," the white tom meowed finally, turning away. He started walking, looking over his shoulder casually as if nothing had happened. "Come on, let's go!"

The three apprentices blinked in slight shock before heading after Snowpaw.

* * *

"Firepaw… Firepaw!" A paw prodded her side sharply.

Firepaw gave an audible groan before opening her eyes sleepily. Moonlight streamed into the apprentice's den, lighting up the cat who had awoken her. Dewpaw's pelt glowed a light silver and his amber eyes lit up the slight darkness around him.

"Great, you're awake," the dark gray tom meowed quietly. He padded towards the exit of the den and then halted, flicking his tail. "Come on, let's take a walk."

_A walk? What is Dewpaw playing at? _Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Firepaw reluctantly got to her paws and padded after the other apprentice.

They slipped out through the dirt-place, since being apprentices, they couldn't leave on their own. Wrinkling her nose, Firepaw accidentally sneezed at the disgusting scent wafting through the tunnel. Dewpaw flicked her nose with his tail sharply, which just prompted her to sneeze again. Grumbling in slight displeasure, the dark gray tom picked up his pace.

The two apprentices emerged into the open. Firepaw breathed in the cool air in relief, while Dewpaw seemed virtually unaffected by the scent of the dirt-place at all. The dark gray apprentice turned towards her. "Let's go to a clearing, or something," Dewpaw meowed. "...This is kinda private."

Firepaw inwardly flinched at his tone. It was more serious and demanding than his usual light-heartedness he seemed to add into all his words. The ginger apprentice nodded slowly, the fur along her spine prickling uncomfortably. _I mean, Snowpaw was acting sorta weird too but this is ridiculous…_

Dewpaw headed off towards the bushes, Firepaw in tow. The tom occasionally stopped and checked the area to see if anyone was following them. When he came up blank, he continued on.

Firepaw couldn't help feeling unnerved at all of this. Just where was Dewpaw taking her that was so private? And couldn't all of this wait until morning?

After walking for a few moments, Dewpaw suddenly swerved towards the ShadowClan border. Firepaw's golden eyes widened in shock. _What is he doing? _Swallowing back her misgivings, she continued following him, but more cautiously. The ginger apprentice carefully sniffed the air to make sure none of her Clanmates were following them. _What exactly would they say if they saw two apprentices heading near enemy territory?_

As they crossed on to the side of ShadowClan, Firepaw couldn't help the shiver that ran up her spine. But when Dewpaw showed no signs of stopping, the ginger tabby felt a small flash of annoyance, confusion, and anger all at once. "Just _what _are we doing?" she hissed.

"Calm down, great StarClan," Dewpaw muttered. "What does it look like we're doing?"

"Crossing another Clan's territory, that's what!" Firepaw spat. "What about the warrior code?"

"This is much more important than the warrior code." Firepaw was startled when Dewpaw suddenly halted. He whipped around, his dark amber eyes narrowed to slits. "Can't you _see_, Firepaw? If we don't talk about this right here, right now, then we never will!"

The ginger tabby flinched back, trying to find words but failing. Her tail flicked anxiously behind her, stirring up some of the leaves that had just started to fall off the trees. Dewpaw's burning amber gaze reminded her of Snowpaw's…

_Ugh! I need to stop thinking about him so much! _Shaking her head irritably, Firepaw snapped, "Fine."

With that, Dewpaw turned around and started walking again. Firepaw moved at a much faster pace now, desperate to hurry whatever this little "talk" was going to be so they could leave quicker. Not only was the marshy grass underneath her paws uncomfortable, she was also troubled they'd be spotted by a ShadowClan midnight patrol. Glancing upwards, Firepaw saw the crescent moon smothering the pine trees in a silver sheen.

_Well, _Firepaw thought slightly anxiously, _at least we'll be able to see anyone._

After a few more minutes of walking, the grass had gotten less damp and was now dry to the touch. Firepaw tasted the air and realized they were just outside of ShadowClan territory now. She breathed a sigh of relief, but froze upon realizing what was in front of her. A tall twoleg nest loomed in front of her, obscured by shadows from the pine trees.

"What-"

"Shh!" Dewpaw hissed, flicking his tail sharply. "Come on. Let's go inside that twoleg nest."

Fear washed over Firepaw and it definitely showed. Her paws trembled uncontrollably, and her ginger tabby pelt bristled. But she swallowed her fear, and forced herself to move forward towards the tall nest. Multiple times, she had lost sight of Dewpaw, with his dark pelt and all. But a moment later, she'd spot him again, and he'd still be right in front of her, like usual.

Finally, they reached the smooth stone that rose in front of the nest. It was cool to the touch, and Firepaw involuntarily shivered. Dewpaw, as usual, look undeterred by this. He continued on, pausing for a moment at the entrance to the nest. Firepaw perked her ears slightly, looking past him. The entrance was closed, but there was a smaller way in embedded inside of it.

Dewpaw seemed to notice too. Flicking his tail again, he started off again, entering through the smaller entrance. Her whiskers twitching anxiously, Firepaw shot after him, nearly flinching as her nose made contact with the cool, smooth texture.

Dewpaw continued walking into the dark shadows, his form disappearing. Firepaw swallowed nervously, and mumbled, "Dewpaw, honestly, what do you have to tell me that's _such _a secret?"

The dark gray apprentice must have turned around, because Firepaw saw a flash of amber in the darkness. "Well, I suppose we're far enough now," he murmured, although she detected a hint of hesitance in his voice.

"So, tell me what's on your mind," Firepaw said carefully, sitting down. She was mentally prepared for the longest conversation of her life.

"It's Snowpaw," Dewpaw meowed after a moment of silence. "He's been acting weird, don't you think?"

Despite the seriousness in his tone, the ginger tabby apprentice's ears twitched in annoyance. "I'm the one who told you he was acting weird."

But Dewpaw ignored her words. "Well, I think I've figured out why," he meowed. A patch of moonlight glowed through one of the stone squares in the wall, finally lighting up where Dewpaw was located. His fur was bristling, and his eyes were wide in worry and concern. "I think he's been doing some sort of training in his dreams."

...What? Firepaw squinted at him in confusion. But before she could say a word, Dewpaw continued without missing a beat.

"Amberpaw was supposed to be here too," he admitted. "But she trains in her dreams too. It's so weird… I don't know how they do it…"

"Do _you _train in your dreams?" Firepaw asked, twitching her whiskers in slight amusement. _Really, he expects me to believe this mouse-dung?_

"No," Dewpaw muttered. "But that's what confuses me," he continued swiftly, "if my littermates are training in their dreams, shouldn't _I _be doing it too?"

"You know, maybe you're just crazy," the ginger tabby meowed, her tail lashing. "How does training in your dreams even make sense?"

"I've seen Sandstorm and Graystripe talk about it," Dewpaw retorted. "Something about the Dark Forest, or whatever."

"The only Clan with a dark forest is ShadowClan." Firepaw snorted. "Those two are going crazy and everyone knows it. Jayfeather even said they might be getting a bit too old."

"Wow, you _sure _treat the elders with respect," Dewpaw meowed lightly, amusement glimmering in his dark amber eyes. After a short pause, he added, "Sorry for being so serious on the way here. I thought it was something you'd like to know about."

"Yeah, maybe. I suppose I'll look into this 'training in your dreams' thing," Firepaw said, giving him a weak smile. "But it sounds stupid."

Dewpaw looked at her, slightly annoyed. But he smiled brightly at her. "Thanks anyway."

Feeling the conversation was over, Firepaw moved back toward the exit, but suddenly, Dewpaw's voice rang through the air. "Wait!"

The ginger tabby apprentice stopped, whipping around hurriedly. "Yeah?" she asked in slight concern.

Dewpaw shifted his paws nervously, and he licked his chest fur in embarrassment. "Well… you know how I'm becoming a warrior a day after tomorrow?" he asked.

Firepaw remembered that-he and his littermates had taken their warrior assessment a few days ago, and that was why they were going to the Moonpool tomorrow. Bramblestar just let her tag along for the experience. And then the day after that, they were getting their warrior names.

After a pause, Dewpaw hurriedly continued. "Well, I was going to tell Seedcloud right after my warrior ceremony that I…" He swallowed, his tail twitching anxiously. "That I love her, and I want to be her mate."

Firepaw was tempted to laugh at his embarrassed expression, but forced it down. "What does that have to do with me?" she asked instead.

"If I can't go through with it…" Dewpaw looked down at the ground, studying his paws nervously. "I… want you to do it for me. Can you?"

Firepaw jumped in astonishment. "W-what? _Why_?" she demanded. "Why can't Amberpaw or Snowpaw do it?"

"They're training in the Dark Forest, remember?" Dewpaw looked at Firepaw closely, ignoring her scornful look at the mention of the Dark Forest. "I trust you almost as much as I love Seedcloud! So will you? Please?" He held her golden gaze for a moment before rushing past her into the night.

Firepaw just sat there in stunned silence.

* * *

As a pale pink mixed with gold blended in with the dark sky, Bramblestar called into the apprentice's den. "It's time to wake up! We need to leave early!"

Firepaw got to her paws groggily, not being able to have gotten a wink of sleep. Dewpaw's late-night walk had kept her awake all night. She blinked her golden eyes, desperately trying to clear them. When she could finally see everything, she noticed Amberpaw and Snowpaw sitting tiredly by Bramblestar's side. They looked ragged and worn out.

Firepaw twitched her ears slightly, looking over at Dewpaw. He had a knowing look in his dark eyes, and the tabby apprentice mumbled incoherently in annoyance. Firepaw was convinced that Dewpaw was wrong, there was no 'training at night', and that the Dark Forest _clearly _didn't exist.

And yet Snowpaw and Amberpaw's appearances begged to differ.

Firepaw walked outside of the den, trailing after Bramblestar. As she stared hard at the back of her father's head, she remembered her promise a moon ago.

_I was going to ask him if he knew what that prophecy thing meant, wasn't I?_

Firepaw gazed at Bramblestar curiously as he turned towards the medicine den and went inside. Snowpaw, Amberpaw, and Dewpaw halted before they entered, but Snowpaw gazed in interest inside the den.

After a few moments, one in which Dewpaw had wandered off towards the warriors den, Bramblestar came out of the medicine den. He was carrying five leaf bundles, two in his jaws and three tucked against his chest carefully. Amberpaw made a face at the bundles, and gagged slightly dramatically.

"Why do we need _herbs_?" she complained. "We're just going to the Moonpool!"

"Yes, and it's going to be a very long journey," Bramblestar meowed after placing the leaf bundles down. "So, unless you want to be tired, I'd recommend the herbs."

Snowpaw cast another curious look inside the medicine den before padding over to one of the bundles of herbs and crouching beside it. Amberpaw was a lot more harder to convince. She was defiant, sharply contrasting from her usual calm behavior.

"I won't get tired!" The gray and white patched apprentice snorted disdainfully. "I have more stamina than most of the warriors here!"

Bramblestar sighed, his fur ruffling slightly. "Listen," he said sharply, "I don't know what fantasy you've got in your head, but I know that you aren't _that _strong."

Amberpaw scoffed, narrowing her light amber eyes in slight anger. But after a moment's pause, she crept towards one of the leaf bundles, sitting beside it grumpily.

_Who put a thorn in her nest? _Firepaw thought, surprised. Amberpaw was much more calmer than this-it was a well-known thing in the Clan. She didn't think anything could bother the gray and white she-cat like this-

_Maybe the Dark Forest is real…_

_No! _Firepaw thought angrily. It couldn't be the Dark Forest, because the Dark Forest wasn't real, and never would be…

"Where's Dewpaw?" Bramblestar asked, interrupting her thoughts.

Firepaw looked around carefully, scanning the camp for any sign of her dark-pelted friend. After a moment, she finally spotted him talking to Seedcloud in front of the warriors den. The ginger warrior looked dead tired, her fur fluffed up and her usually bright green eyes hazy. In contrast to her lazy behavior, Dewpaw bounced in front of her, his dark amber eyes glowing with enthusiasm.

"Over there," Firepaw meowed, trying to stifle a laugh at Dewpaw's antics. Only he would do something this ridiculous.

Bramblestar, however, wasted no time chuckling at the situation. "Hey, Dewpaw, stop flirting and get over here!" he called across the camp.

Dewpaw stopped jumping, slouching in what Firepaw could only assume was embarrassment. He murmured a few words to Seedcloud, in which the warrior only nodded in annoyance, and then padded back over to the group.

"Yeah?" Dewpaw asked. "Seedcloud and I were talking!"

_Pfft, _Firepaw thought in amusement. _At this rate, Seedcloud already knows_ _he likes her._

"Eat these herbs," Bramblestar instructed, pushing a leaf bundle towards him. "It's so we don't get tired on the way to the Moonpool."

Dewpaw happily obliged, crouching down beside the bundle. "Anything to get me back to camp faster so I can finally get my warrior name," he meowed in absolute excitement. But it was only Firepaw who truly understood the motive for his feelings-Seedcloud.

Firepaw headed towards another bundle of herbs, crouching and then looking at the contents inside. There were many different herbs, in different colors and varieties. The aroma of medicine hit her nose, and slightly gagging, Firepaw slowly swallowed every single herb.

After finally eating all of the herbs, she got to her paws. Firepaw noticed that everyone else was done eating their herbs as well. Smiling lightly, she turned to her father, her eyes bright. "Can we go now?" she asked excitedly.

Bramblestar jumped when she addressed him directly, and slowly turned his dark brown tabby head towards his daughter. "Yeah, sure," he meowed, uncharacteristically turning away from Firepaw's expectant golden eyes. "Let's go."

Firepaw blinked at her father's unusual behavior before shaking her head. As Bramblestar padded towards the exit of camp, Amberpaw and Snowpaw in tow, she fell into step with Dewpaw.

"I-I… might believe your Dark Forest theory now," Firepaw meowed quietly, just loud enough for Dewpaw to hear. "Amberpaw's snappy and you know she's always calm. And not to mention her and Snowpaw look really tired."

"See, I _told _you," Dewpaw meowed, flicking her with his tail teasingly. "Now, tell me again about how you thought it was stupid."

Firepaw growled in mock annoyance, shoving him playfully. "Oh, shut up!"

Dewpaw laughed, causing Firepaw to ease up and laugh with him. They didn't realize exactly how long they were walking, just laughing like that, until Firepaw accidentally ran into Snowpaw.

"Sorry!" Firepaw meowed quickly, jumping back.

Snowpaw turned towards her, looking angry for a split second before blinking in realization. He stared at Firepaw for a moment before smiling shyly and then turning back around.

"This is a Thunderpath," Bramblestar meowed from a little farther ahead. Firepaw peeked over Snowpaw's head and saw a black surface dotted with yellow lines in the middle. "We have to cross it. But don't take too long. Even though it's early, monsters are still up and about," the dark tabby leader continued, his voice dropping slightly.

"Got it!" Dewpaw said brightly, bouncing on his paws. "No monster's gonna get me!"

With that, the group of five headed onto the Thunderpath. Firepaw tensed slightly at the cool surface underneath her paws, but tried hard not to flinch when she saw the other four not having a problem.

_They must have gone on Thunderpaths before, _Firepaw thought ruefully. As she stepped on to the other side of the path, she couldn't help but sulk about her unhelpful mentor. Blossomfall was not ideal for anything, only teaching her how to fight and rarely showing her hunting skills. Maybe she didn't need them…

Suddenly, a low rumble shook the ground. Firepaw jumped, startled. "What's that?" she asked in a panicked voice.

"A passing monster," Bramblestar meowed. "But we should be safe since everyone's on this side."

Firepaw blinked thankfully, turning around. But what she saw made her blood run cold.

The monster was approaching very quickly. Firepaw could see the bright yellow lights illuminating the black Thunderpath. But there was a cat standing there, frozen in what seemed like fear and confusion.

"_Dewpaw_!"

**Whoa, cliffhanger D: Will Dewpaw escape? Well, only I know… xD What do you guys think though? Tell me in a review! :)**

**Anyways, see you soon with the next update! :D**

**~Orangeflight of ShadowClan**


	14. Chapter Thirteen: In the Dark

**Hey guys, here's the next chapter of Lucky! :D Sorry for the hold up, haha, I was writing it this whole time but got distracted a lot. And I left you guys on a cliffhanger, too ;-; Sorry! Well, here's the review replies:**

**Lightningstar-of-NightClan: Thanks! :)**

**Leafy: Aw crap, I made you swear xD And to answer a few of your questions, the Dark Forest **_**has **_**been defeated in this, but they regrouped and are recruiting living cats again. Snowpaw and the maple bush will be explained sometime in a later chapter, and Seedcloud isn't training in the Dark Forest, she was just tired because it was dawn when Firepaw and the group left xD So she isn't there.**

**And yeah, I thought it was ironic how completely different our Dewpaw's are xD And Seedcloud, yeah she's completely different from Seedflight xD And Seedcloud's legitimate feelings for Dewpaw are going to be revealed next chapter, I think :) Thanks for reviewing!**

**Okay, so now that I've finished, we can move on to the chapter :D I hope you guys like it, it is kinda sad though… ;-;**

_Chapter Thirteen _

_Firepaw watched in horror _as the yellow lights barreled closer and closer to the frozen Dewpaw. _What is he doing?! _the voice in her head screamed, and Firepaw nearly panicked when she saw the monster. It was big, long, and a bright red color. And it was nearly a mouse-length away from Dewpaw.

Amberpaw's loud screech echoed through her ears, making her light ginger paws shake in shock, confusion, and horror all at once. _Dewpaw's going to die and I can't do anything…_

Suddenly, Bramblestar leapt forward, trying to get to Dewpaw faster than the bright red monster did. Firepaw watched desperately as her father strode closer and closer to her dark gray friend. _Please, StarClan, let Bramblestar save him…_

But, by some sort of stroke of bad luck, the monster was faster. The loud _crash! _that came from the path will always be embedded in Firepaw's mind. As the unsuspecting red monster drove off into the distance, Dewpaw's limp form lay on the Thunderpath, blood seeping from large gashes in his side.

"_Dewpaw_!" Amberpaw screeched again, her amber eyes huge with horror. She rushed forward, nearly tripping over her own paws in her haste. She lied by his side, nudging him urgently. "Dewpaw… Dewpaw! Wake up… Dewpaw, please… don't leave…"

Bramblestar, who had almost made it to Dewpaw, stopped, watching with his tail drooping sadly. No doubt he was feeling sad he couldn't get there in time.

Tears stung in Firepaw's eyes as she watched Amberpaw trying to get Dewpaw to respond to no avail. _He's gone, _she thought, choking on a sob, _and it's all my fault. I should've made sure he was following me…_

"I'm so sorry, Amberpaw," Bramblestar meowed hollowly, his eyes amber pools of sadness and regret. "I should've been faster…"

"No, it isn't your fault," Amberpaw sobbed, tears streaking down her cheeks slowly. "It was never…"

By now, Firepaw expected some sort of comment from Snowpaw. But when she didn't receive one, she turned her head, confusion glowing in her golden eyes. That confusion soon turned into panic when she realized Snowpaw was nowhere to be found.

"Snowpaw?" she called, looking around frantically. _I just lost Dewpaw-I can't lose him too!_

Bramblestar turned to face his daughter in alarm. "Snowpaw's missing too?" he asked, concern clouding his expression.

Firepaw nodded, her fur starting to bristle nervously. "What if he… what if he dies too?" she asked fearfully.

"I'm sure he isn't dead," Bramblestar meowed, but his eyes betrayed his calmness. "He should be around here…. We just have to look."

The ginger apprentice looked around again, but couldn't see Snowpaw's white pelt anywhere. Just when she had thought her suspicions were confirmed, the apprentice came out of the bushes, pink, purple, and yellow flowers in his jaws.

He dropped the flowers at his paws, and then looked Firepaw right in the eyes. "Before you ask, I got these flowers so we could mask Dewpaw's death scent," he meowed.

"Where did you get them?" Firepaw asked quizzically, padding forward and pawing the flowers curiously. "I didn't see any of these flowers on the way here."

"I took a different way to find them," Snowpaw answered, suddenly looking nervous. "I-It's no big deal," he added quickly.

"It would have taken you a long time to get them, nonetheless," Bramblestar commented, picking up the multi-colored flowers in his jaws. He then looked at Snowpaw curiously. Firepaw knew the question he was trying to ask, and so did Snowpaw.

"I-I-"

"I don't care how he got them." Amberpaw's hollow voice reached Firepaw's ears, and the tabby apprentice turned around. The white and gray she-cat had finally looked away from Dewpaw's dead body to fix her and Bramblestar with an emotionless stare. "I don't care how he got them," she repeated. "All that matters is making sure Dewpaw gets a proper burial."

Bramblestar nodded solemnly, flicking his tail for Firepaw and Snowpaw to help Amberpaw lift up Dewpaw from the Thunderpath. The two apprentices complied easily, padding unto the black surface and carefully picking a part of Dewpaw's body to pick up. Firepaw ended up with one of his shoulders alongside Snowpaw, who looked concerned about something.

Once they had placed the apprentice unto the grass, it was time for Bramblestar to cover Dewpaw with the flowers. The dark brown tabby placed the flowers unto the ground and got to work, placing certain flowers at specific parts on him.

"The pink one for his heart," Bramblestar murmured, placing one of the pink flowers near his heart. "It _was _always big…. And this yellow one, for his joyfulness…"

"The purple one for the secret he knew," Firepaw murmured quietly so no one else could hear. He had known all along-he had known Snowpaw and Amberpaw were part of the Dark Forest. And now he was dead.

Bramblestar finished placing the flowers on Dewpaw's body, and then stepped back, frowning. He gazed at Amberpaw for a moment before looking down at his paws. "Amberpaw, I hope you know we can't bury him."

"_What_?!" Amberpaw spat, her white and gray fur bristling. "And why not?"

"It would take far too long," the dark brown tabby leader meowed, looking at the sky calmly. "See? It's already sun-high. We need all the time we can get, and it hurts to say this, but," he breathed, "burying Dewpaw would cut too far into that time."

The white and gray patched she-cat glared at Bramblestar furiously. Her fluffy tail lashed, and for a moment, she held her leader's calm amber gaze. Then she whipped around and stormed off, a wave of anger and annoyance following her.

Bramblestar sighed, looking at Dewpaw for another moment before following after Amberpaw, flicking his tail for Firepaw and Snowpaw to follow.

Firepaw glanced at Dewpaw, her expression downcast. "We should at least hide him in the bushes or something," she murmured to Snowpaw, who stood a fox-length taller than her. "It seems disrespectful to leave him in the open."

"W-We would mess up the flowers," Snowpaw stuttered, looking down at her nervously. "W-Wouldn't it be better to just leave him where he is?"

Firepaw blinked, registering what the white apprentice told her. _It's true, _she mused, _we would mess up the flowers if we moved him. _She swallowed, looking at Dewpaw again. _But…_

"Come on," Snowpaw meowed, flicking her shoulder with his tail. "We can't worry about this. N-Not right now, anyway. Maybe Dewpaw will still be undamaged by the time we get back to the Moonpool." He then padded after Bramblestar, but not before Firepaw noticed his tail twitching nervously behind him.

Firepaw sighed, looking at Dewpaw's dead body again. "I'm so sorry," she whispered painfully, her throat tightening in grief. She then tore her gaze away from him, her tail drooping sadly. She padded after Snowpaw slowly, the sun's rays making her fur glow a bright fiery orange.

* * *

The moon's glow illuminated the trees and rocks, giving them a silver glow. The group of now four stood in front of a huge cave, a blue light lighting up their pelts. Bramblestar stepped forward, his amber eyes glistening. "Well," he started, "this is the cave to the Moonpool."

Amberpaw looked up for a moment before looking down at her paws again sadly. Snowpaw looked more interested, glancing at the cave curiously. Firepaw gave Amberpaw a sympathetic look before staring at the entrance to the cave, her fur bristling in excitement.

Bramblestar looked at Amberpaw before meowing, "Come on, let's go. Now is the perfect time." He turned around, heading into the dark cave.

Snowpaw nudged Amberpaw forward into the cave, a sad expression crossing his face. Firepaw swallowed, guilt weighing down her movements. _It's all my fault_, she thought. _Dewpaw… he should be alive_.

Once Firepaw made it inside the cave, she gasped in wonder and amazement. A big, sparkling blue lake glittered under the stars. Bramblestar sat near it, his amber eyes glowing at seeing the pool. Snowpaw and Amberpaw stopped to stare at the beautiful water, sloshing at the glowing stones on the shore.

"Wow," Firepaw breathed, her golden eyes glittering. "This… this is…"

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Bramblestar purred, glancing at his daughter. "You're right. StarClan picked a wonderful spot to share tongues with us."

"Yeah," Snowpaw mumbled a few steps away, suddenly finding the ground interesting.

"Anyway," Bramblestar meowed, gaining an authoritative air, "I am going to visit StarClan. Unfortunately for you, you have to stay here and keep watch."

"What!? Why?" Firepaw demanded, her fur fluffing up defiantly. "Shouldn't we be able to visit StarClan too?"

"Sorry, Firepaw," the dark brown tabby leader meowed, actually looking apologetic. "Maybe if you ever become leader."

Firepaw grumbled angrily under her breath and her father chuckled good-humoredly. Bramblestar padded towards the glittering pool, looking at the sparkling water. He lowered his muzzle and touched his nose to the water. Suddenly, he lowered himself to a crouch and his breathing eased to show that he was asleep.

"How did he do that?" Firepaw asked in bewilderment, her previous anger forgotten. "He just touched the water and then _bam_! He's asleep!"

"StarClan blessed this water," Snowpaw replied quietly. "So that whenever you touch it, you'll fall asleep and wake up in StarClan."

_How'd you know that? _she wanted to ask, but instead meowed, "Oh." Firepaw glanced at her father's sleeping form, wishing desperately that she could visit StarClan too. _I could see Dewpaw… couldn't I?_

The three apprentices sat side by side in front of the exit to the cave, making sure to guard Bramblestar carefully. Many times, an owl hooting or a crow crowing made them tense, but nothing ever attacked them directly.

After a while, Amberpaw abruptly got to her paws, a determined expression crossing her face. She padded forward, her white and gray fur glowing in the blue light, and then stopped in front of the Moonpool.

Snowpaw stared at her in alarm. "What are you doing?" he demanded nervously.

"I don't care what Bramblestar says," Amberpaw meowed, narrowing her light amber eyes. "I'm visiting StarClan… I'm visiting Dewpaw."

"W-What?" Snowpaw stuttered, his eyes huge. "But-"

"I'm going too," Firepaw meowed, interrupting the white apprentice's words. "I need to talk to Dewpaw." Feeling the weight of guilt again, the ginger tabby struggled to push the feelings away.

Snowpaw looked at the two she-cats in bewilderment before sighing in resignation. "...Fine," he meowed. "I guess I… w-will visit Dewpaw too."

"You sound like you don't want to," Amberpaw meowed a bit angrily. "You don't _have _to come!" With that, the apprentice turned around and stormed off towards the glittering Moonpool.

Firepaw flashed a glance at Snowpaw. He looked troubled, as always, but something seemed… _off_. He had this knowing gleam in his dark amber eyes and he was tensed as if preparing for something.

Firepaw shook her head, dismissing it. She didn't have time to worry about little things like that. She rushed over to Amberpaw, who was hovering her muzzle above the sparkling water, ready to dip her nose in it. She crouched beside the white and gray apprentice, settling in the same position as her. A few seconds later, Snowpaw appeared on Amberpaw's other side, getting into the position as well.

"Are you sure you guys want to do this?" Snowpaw asked, seeming frightened about something.

Amberpaw looked at her littermate with a furious glare before touching the water forcefully. She almost immediately fell into a deep sleep, getting into a more comfortable sleeping position.

"We have to go too," Firepaw meowed, blinking at Snowpaw. "She can't visit Dewpaw while we lie here in the dark."

"Yeah… in the dark…" The white apprentice looked troubled again.

Firepaw sighed irritably. She didn't have time for one of Snowpaw's stupid games. She turned back towards the glittering water and pushed her nose into it, breathing sharply at how cold it felt. Then she felt a soothing, dragging sensation, and blackness started to cover her vision.

"Just be careful!" Firepaw swore she heard Snowpaw's voice say before she fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Firepaw blinked owlishly, staring at the looming, dark trees and the lack of starlight. "Where in the name of StarClan-" She cut herself short. Wherever they were, they certainly weren't in StarClan.

Amberpaw and Snowpaw stood next to her, clearly familiar with their surroundings. Amberpaw was terrified, something Firepaw had never seen on her expression before, and Snowpaw looked nervous, as usual, but he seemed _more _nervous.

"T-This is-" Snowpaw stuttered.

"The Dark Forest," a voice hissed behind them. The group of three jumped, whipping around hastily with their bodies tense. A white tom with gray tabby splotches and yellow eyes sat there, glaring at them.

"T-Thistleclaw!" Amberpaw squeaked, her eyes wide with terror.

The tom smirked at the three of them, his eyes glinting malevolently. "Oh, Snowpaw and Amberpaw," Thistleclaw meowed silkily, "you brought a new cat?"

"_She _isn't joining the Dark Forest," Snowpaw said firmly, trying his best to look brave. But Firepaw noticed his wobbly legs and his tail twitching behind him anxiously.

"Oh, that's where you're wrong, deputy," Thistleclaw purred, lashing his tail. "She's the exact one we need. I'd know. The Dark Forest understands far more than StarClan does…"

"B-Back off!" Snowpaw stuttered angrily, his fur starting to bristle.

Firepaw blinked in interest. _Did Thistleclaw just call Snowpaw deputy? _But before she could dwell on this anymore, suddenly the gray Dark Forest warrior leaped towards her, claws outstretched.

Amberpaw and Snowpaw immediately leaped to her defense, blocking Thistleclaw's blow. The Dark Forest warrior hissed in surprise, his fur bristling. He leaped towards Amberpaw, his teeth glistening in the darkness, but Snowpaw made him go flying back with a heavy blow to the face.

Thistleclaw snarled, getting to his paws angrily. "Deputy, you're on _our _side!" he spat. "You traitor!"

"I won't let you hurt them!" Snowpaw hissed back, his tail fluffing up. "They're important, far more important than anything Dark Forest related!"

"Those words will make you pay, deputy!" Thistleclaw leaped forward, claws unsheathed. Snowpaw deflected the blow with one of his unsheathed paws. The apprentice brought up another paw, slashing Thistleclaw's chest. The Dark Forest warrior hissed in pain, crouching and coughing up blood.

"Who's paying now?" Snowpaw asked, smirking as he stood above Thistleclaw's crouched form. But then suddenly, the gray and white warrior leaped up, bowling him over. He clawed Snowpaw's cheek and the apprentice yowled in pain.

"Snowpaw!" Amberpaw cried, running forwards. But Snowpaw growled, stopping her in her tracks abruptly.

"Get out of here, Amberpaw and Firepaw!" the white tom hissed, glaring into Thistleclaw's yellow eyes. "I'll hold off Thistleclaw. Just run before other Dark Forest cats notice!"

"Too late," a voice meowed behind Firepaw. The orange tabby jumped, turning around with her golden eyes huge. There sat a light brown tabby warrior and a dark gray speckled apprentice with white paws. Firepaw quickly noted they weren't transparent like Thistleclaw, so they must be living cats. But what were they doing here?

"Ah, Rushleaf and Rainpaw," Thistleclaw meowed, smirking at the two cats. "Seize them!"

The two cats immediately jumped into action. Rainpaw came rushing towards Firepaw, silver claws extended. Firepaw instinctively dodged, her paws scrambling hastily on the dark grass beneath her. Without a second thought, she took off through the dark forest, hoping to find StarClan. For a moment, Firepaw worried about Amberpaw, but then sighed in relief once she heard swift pawsteps behind her. She even turned to make sure it was the white and gray apprentice before quickening her fast pace.

"I'll catch up with you, I swear!" Snowpaw's voice echoed through the forest. Firepaw swallowed, feeling slight guilt at running away, but she knew it was the right thing to do.

"You aren't going _anywhere_!" a voice snarled behind them. Firepaw turned, spotting Rushleaf catching up to them. Her golden eyes widened in fear.

"Amberpaw, speed up!" Firepaw yowled, and then made longer strides to seem as if she was going faster, when in reality, she was just stepping farther. Relief crashed into her when she spotted a white haze at the end of the path. _That must be StarClan!_

"Don't let them get away, Rainpaw!" Rushleaf hissed from behind them. Suddenly, as if out of no where, a gray blur appeared beside Firepaw. The tabby blinked in shock. The gray speckled apprentice's blue eyes glittered maliciously and her sharp teeth glowed in the darkness.

But then, Amberpaw attacked Rainpaw, clawing her side. The apprentice yowled in pain, slowing her pace. Firepaw and Amberpaw took this as a chance, speeding up and getting closer and closer to the fog. Their eyes glittered happily as they finally appeared right before the haze. They could just see StarClan's starlit hunting grounds through it.

_This is it! _Firepaw and Amberpaw crashed through the fog, eager to finally see StarClan.

* * *

Even as Amberpaw and Dewpaw talked and laughed like old times and the atmosphere was a happy one, Firepaw couldn't help but worry about Snowpaw. _He'll be okay… right? _She forced herself to swallow her doubts. Snowpaw showed such an amazing fighting skill she didn't even know he had today. Of course he'd be fine.

"So, I'm sorry about what happened," Dewpaw meowed suddenly, looking down at the glittery ground. "I shouldn't have been so shellshocked like that. That was so stupid of me."

"It was my fault," Firepaw cut in. "I should've watched out for you…"

Dewpaw continued to look down at the ground for a moment before meowing, "...Will you still tell Seedcloud I love her? I won't be a warrior now, but…"

"Of course," Amberpaw meowed, looking at him sadly. "Seedcloud might not like you, but she'll feel bad nonetheless. I know she will."

Dewpaw smiled at them sheepishly, twitching his whiskers. He shuffled his paws awkwardly for a bit and Firepaw almost laughed at the irony of it. They had lost Dewpaw already and now Snowpaw was missing in this group-and Dewpaw was acting just like him.

This seemed to suddenly become clear to Dewpaw, and he jumped as if he were struck. "S-Snowpaw," he started. "He said he'd be able to catch up with you guys… where is he?"

"I think he's still in the Dark Forest," Firepaw meowed, her expression changing into a serious one. "I hope he's okay… he's great at fighting, but he gets really nervous a lot."

"He'll be fine," Amberpaw said with a determined glint in her eyes. "He's one of my brothers, after all." But Firepaw detected the slight shake in her voice on the last line. _She doesn't deserve to worry so much… Dewpaw's dead, and Snowpaw's missing for the time being… it just isn't right…_

Suddenly, there was a flash. Firepaw and Amberpaw jumped in surprise, but Dewpaw simply looked contemplative before turning back to them, his eyes dark with worry. "You have to leave!" he exclaimed. "Bramblestar's waking up soon!"

"What about Snowpaw?" Amberpaw asked hurriedly, looking around. "He needs to wake up too!"

"We have to forget about him, for now," Firepaw meowed, blinking at Dewpaw's starry gray fur. "How do we wake up?"

"Just think about waking up and you should be fine," the star-furred apprentice meowed, giving her and Amberpaw another smile. "I'll see you guys sometime, okay?"

"Bye, Dewpaw," Amberpaw whispered before closing her eyes and disappearing in a burst of sparkles.

Firepaw lingered for a moment, eyeing Dewpaw a bit unhappily before meowing, "Bye." She closed her eyes, picturing herself waking up near the Moonpool. Before she knew it, she was surrounded by starry sparkles and she faded away from StarClan.

**Okay, end of chapter! :D The plot is really starting to thicken now. Like, really, Dewpaw dies and Snowpaw disappears in the same chapter. Poor Amberpaw :( **

**Next chapter, Amberpaw (and Snowpaw?) get their warrior names, Firepaw tries to ask questions and gets no answers, and Blossomfall makes a reappearance. It might take a long time for me to write out, but just bare with me for now xD**

**Anyway, I'm going to do some QOTD's like Leafy does :) It gives me more interaction with my reviewers so why not xD Here they are:**

**QOTD #1: Why do you think Snowpaw never caught up with Firepaw and Amberpaw?**

**QOTD #2: And, on the topic of Snowpaw, why do you think Thistleclaw called him 'deputy'?**

**Okay, guys, that's it :) Did you like this chapter? Tell me what you think in a review!**

**Bye and see you next chapter! :D**

**~Orangeflight of ShadowClan**


	15. Chapter Fourteen: Promises

**Hello, lovely readers! :D Sorry for kind of disappearing for a bit, I swear I didn't mean to! I waited specifically for this day, because it's my birthday! But you don't have to wish me happy birthday, it's alright xD**

**Oh yeah, I also uploaded a Snowpaw one-shot called **_**Forgive and Forget**_**! You should be able to find it by either going to the main fanfiction page for Warriors, or just clicking my username and scrolling down. It doesn't really have any effect on Lucky's later chapters, so it's not a must-read. But it does have a few things that aren't mentioned at all in Lucky and never will be. So I would reccommend checking it out, but again, you don't have to! :)**

**Well.. I guess that's it for the AN, so time for the review replies!**

**Lightningstar-of-NightClan: Thanks! And it's okay, take your time :D**

**WyldClaw (Chapter 1): Huh, I actually don't have much plans for Ashfur after that Prologue scene xD I should give him more appearances, psh.. ;;**

**Leafsplash-Of-ThunderClan: It's okay! Honestly, after writing the Dewpaw part I took a break ;w; I'm definitely gonna miss him as well, Dew x Seed is my Lucky OTP D: But it was for the best. I just wish it didn't have to happen ;;**

**Yes, I also loved how Snowpaw stood up to the Dark Forest! ;u; He's certainly gotten braver..**

**Hmm, very interesting answers to the QOTD's, but I won't say if they're right or not :P One part of the second one was right, but the Snowpaw one-shot has all the correct answers to the second QOTD xD**

**Anyways, I'm glad you liked the chapter! :D**

**Okay, now, without further ado… chapter fourteen of Lucky!**

_Chapter Fourteen_

"_Why won't you tell me _anything about it?" Firepaw pestered, looking at Snowpaw intently.

The white apprentice's expression didn't waver. "Maybe because it's none of your business?" he muttered in annoyance, looking away from her expectant golden gaze.

Firepaw and Amberpaw had woken up beside the Moonpool a few moments before Bramblestar had, and they worriedly noticed that Snowpaw was still asleep. He also had a nasty-looking cut under his left eye. The two had just gotten lucky when Snowpaw woke up a second before Bramblestar had, as they had probably managed to avoid a lot of questions.

But Firepaw's father _did _question the scratch, so Amberpaw hurriedly made up a story about how a rock near the Moonpool's exit had cut under his eye. Although Firepaw had been confused about how Snowpaw only had one scratch, Amberpaw told her that only the severe scratches show up in the real world.

Which only served to worry Firepaw even more. _What if that becomes a scar?_

The ginger tabby apprentice turned to Amberpaw, who was walking behind them. "Come on, _you're _curious too, right?" she asked, blinking at the white and gray she-cat.

"Well, I know why he's deputy," the she-cat murmured, glancing at Snowpaw apprehensively. "I won't say anything though—it's his place to tell you, not mine."

Firepaw whipped around to face Snowpaw, who looked nonchalant. "How come Amberpaw knows?" she whined.

"First of all, she's my sister, so _of course _she knows why," Snowpaw snapped. "Second of all, just let it go, Firepaw! You didn't care before, so you shouldn't care now!"

Hurt, Firepaw opened her jaws to retort, but before she could, Bramblestar's meow of surprise interrupted her.

"Where's Dewpaw?"

Amberpaw jumped as if she had been struck, while Snowpaw looked unaffected. "What do you mean 'where is he'?" the white and gray she-cat demanded.

The dark brown tabby leader turned towards the three apprentices, his amber eyes wide in worry. "Dewpaw completely disappeared!"

Firepaw and Amberpaw made meows of worry, rushing forward and looking for him. Firepaw gazed at the bushes where her gray friend had been, but didn't even see a trace of his familiar smoke-colored pelt.

"What the... where is he?" the ginger she-cat muttered in confusion.

Snowpaw suddenly appeared by her side, startling her. "The flowers are still here," the white tom meowed quietly, pawing at a seemingly discarded purple flower petal.

Firepaw gazed at the petal uninterestedly. "Barely," she added to his sentence. "And if that's still here, then where in the name of StarClan is Dewpaw?"

Everyone looked around for another moment before Amberpaw's ears pricked in interest. "Wait, what's that?" the white and gray she-cat asked, pointing somewhere with her paw.

Firepaw followed her gaze and saw a patch of Dewpaw's dark gray fur, along with a black feather. The ginger tabby felt a small chill go through her. She padded forward, nosing the fur carefully before frowning, lifting her head. She then sniffed the feather before jumping as if she were struck. Shock filled her golden eyes as she finally connected the dots.

Snowpaw was by her side in an instant again, but Firepaw was too shocked—no, _scared_, to completely register it. The white apprentice licked her ear reassuringly, and meowed quietly, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier."

"H-How did you know that…" Firepaw couldn't find the words, still staring in horror at the black feather sitting near the fluff of gray fur. She couldn't even believe it…. Some… some dumb _bird _had taken Dewpaw!

"I just knew," Snowpaw muttered, avoiding her gaze. He looked at the fur and the feather again for turning around abruptly, heading back to camp.

Left confused, Firepaw puffed in annoyance and shot after him, her eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, you _just knew_? That isn't exactly something you're supposed to know will happen!"

"Leave me alone!" Snowpaw snapped, quickening his pace.

"Not until you tell me!" Firepaw hissed, trying to match his speed. But suddenly, she tripped over something, landing face-first on the ground. With a huff, she got back on her paws, spitting out dirt. When she looked, she realized that Amberpaw's tail had tripped her.

"Sorry," Amberpaw meowed, looking at her paws. "Snowpaw is… just a little upset right now. We should give him some space."

"Yes," Bramblestar meowed, who was suddenly sitting beside Firepaw. "I know you're worried, Firepaw, but some cats need time to blow off steam."

The ginger tabby she-cat stared at the spot where Snowpaw had been. "I guess," she muttered under her breath. "Sorry."

* * *

When they got back to camp, everyone was looking at each other in worry. Snowpaw sat beside a patch of grass near them, looking down at his paws. Firepaw looked around, feeling a bit upset when everyone sent sympathetic gazes towards her and Amberpaw.

Suddenly, one cat broke out of the crowd, rushing up to Bramblestar. It was Seedcloud, her green eyes huge with sadness. "Dewpaw… is he really…" She choked on her words with a sob.

"I'm sorry, Seedcloud," Bramblestar meowed quietly, looking down at the ground.

The ginger she-cat stared at him for a moment before blinking. Tears welled up in the warrior's eyes and she let out a small sob. She pushed past the group of three, racing into the forest.

Lilypool stepped out into the crowd, her blue gaze filled with sympathy. "I'll go make sure she's okay," the dark brown medicine cat meowed, and then took off into the forest after Seedcloud.

After a pause, the four of them, including Snowpaw, entered camp fully, feeling the sad gazes on them. Cloudtail and Brightheart were particularly upset, since Dewpaw was their kit. Although they didn't have a body to mourn, they sat side by side near the exit of camp, looking out into the forest with hopeful eyes.

Bramblestar leapt unto the High Ledge and, feeling no need to call a Clan meeting, started speaking. "As you probably all know by now, on our trip to the Moonpool, Dewpaw was run over by a monster."

Murmurs spread through the Clan, and Firepaw knew Amberpaw and Snowpaw could practically feel the sympathetic gazes on their backs.

"But with a tragedy comes a benefit. Amberpaw and Snowpaw, please step forward."

The two apprentice's eyes blinked in shock, and they stepped forward, Amberpaw's pelt ruffled and Snowpaw's bristling with anticipation. The rest of the Clan was murmuring again, whispering about Bramblestar's choice. Even Firepaw admitted it was a bit odd. How come he was making them warriors _now_?

"I, Bramblestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn." The dark brown tabby leader looked down at Amberpaw, whose paws were shaking slightly. "Amberpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I-I do," the white and gray she-cat stuttered, her orange eyes wide.

Bramblestar smiled down at the apprentice, opening his jaws again to speak. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I grant you your warrior name. Amberpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Amberheart. StarClan honors your patience and spirit, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

The dark brown leader jumped down from the High Ledge, placing his muzzle on the newly-named Amberheart's head. The white and gray she-cat licked Bramblestar's shoulder, albeit a bit hesitantly.

Bramblestar turned to look at Snowpaw, who looked unnerved by the sudden attention. Then, the dark brown tabby meowed, "Snowpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

There was a pause. Confused, Firepaw glanced at Snowpaw, and saw he was shivering, barely meeting her father's gaze. Then, suddenly it became clear. _Of course… he's the Dark Forest deputy for some odd reason… so of course he's pledged his loyalty to them, not to us._

"Well?" Bramblestar asked, gazing at the white apprentice intently.

"I…" Snowpaw swallowed, and then gave a small, shaky smile. "...do."

The dark brown tabby frowned down at him for a moment before continuing. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I grant you your warrior name. Snowpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Snowwhisper. StarClan honors your quietness and loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

Bramblestar placed his muzzle lightly on the white warrior's head, and quickly, Snowwhisper licked his shoulder. Firepaw's father took a step back, and the Clan started to chant their new names.

"Amberheart! Snowwhisper!"

Amberheart looked proud, her eyes glowing and her previous sadness about Dewpaw forgotten. However, Snowwhisper's fur was still ruffled, and he looked uncomfortable, as if he really didn't want to be a warrior. Firepaw gazed at his back thoughtfully.

_What exactly is his problem?_

* * *

"Again!" Blossomfall snapped, crouching with her tortoiseshell pelt bristling.

Frowning, Firepaw launched forward, claws unsheathed. She swiped at Blossomfall, but before she could land the blow, the tortoiseshell had disappeared. The ginger tabby hissed in surprise, and then promptly landed on the marshy ground when her mentor's weight was suddenly on top of her.

Blossomfall got to her paws with a huff, letting Firepaw gain her bearings. The tortoiseshell gave her apprentice a look. "Ever since you went to the Gathering, your attacks have started to get more half-hearted," she hissed. "Why is that?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Firepaw muttered, looking down at her paws.

"Blossomfall does have a point," Toadstep commented from across the clearing. Snowwhisper stood by his side, suddenly seeming to have found the ground interesting. "You don't really have a motive anymore. It's like you don't want to be a warrior."

"Oh, did you want to ask your father to be a _third _medicine cat?" Blossomfall snorted.

"I didn't ask you to come," Firepaw muttered to Toadstep. "So don't bother with me."

"You're right, you didn't. I came for Blossomfall," the black and white warrior meowed, smiling at the tortoiseshell warrior. Blossomfall giggled as Toadstep stepped forward, pressing his nose against her's. Blinking in slight surprise, Firepaw took a small glance at Snowwhisper and was filled with amusement at the look of pure disgust on his face.

But as the two warriors started murmuring under their breath, Firepaw felt distinctly out of place. Seeing this, Snowwhisper let out a loud cough, interrupting them. "Well, a reminder that I'm not exactly supposed to be here either," the new warrior meowed, successfully catching Blossomfall and Toadstep's attention. "So we have to hurry if we don't want Bramblestar to get suspicious."

"Nah, I'm sure Bramblestar will be okay with it," Toadstep meowed, flicking his tail dismissively. "...But I suppose you are supposed to be sitting vigil with Amberheart, so I guess you can leave if you want."

Snowwhisper murmured something under his breath before turning to Firepaw, his expression uneasy. "Come on Firepaw, let's go," the white tom meowed, padding away and then lashing his tail for the ginger tabby apprentice to follow.

"Wait!" Blossomfall snapped, making the two cats stop in their tracks. "I'm still training with Firepaw, you know. Just because _you're _a warrior now doesn't mean she is!"

Snowwhisper frowned. "Yes, but it's getting late. I think it would be best if we _all _headed back."

Blossomfall grumbled under her breath while Toadstep looked a bit quick to agree with it. Firepaw just shrugged it off though, not bothering with it. When Snowwhisper was sure everyone had agreed with his statement, he set off, Firepaw and the rest in tow.

The ginger tabby apprentice was tempted to ask the white warrior again about why he was deputy of the Dark Forest, but then realized with Blossomfall and Toadstep around, that would sound bad. So she decided to keep her mouth shut, for now.

When they reached the entrance of camp, the sun had just about finished setting. A dark blue coating covered the sky, and traces of stars twinkled in the distance. Amberheart sat in front of them, a stern look crossing her face once she noticed her brother's appearance.

"And where have _you _been?" the white and gray warrior asked in annoyance, glaring at him.

Snowwhisper blinked apologetically at her, looking down at his paws. "I was out in the forest," he meowed quietly. "Sorry."

"Well, just hurry and act like you were sitting vigil the whole time," Amberheart meowed, sighing heavily. "Geez Snowwhisper, sometimes you're so empty-minded," the she-cat added under her breath.

The white tom's ear twitched, but he didn't respond to his sister's quip. Instead, he padded forward and settled down on the opposite side of her, nodding to the rest of the group. Firepaw rolled his eyes at this, but didn't say anything and just walked past them.

As the sky of moon-high became more obvious, Firepaw felt herself yawn multiple times. Deciding she'd go to sleep, she went over to grab a mouse and headed for the apprentice's den, but then paused.

_I'm going to be the only one there now._

Swallowing nervously, she cast a glance towards Amberheart and Snowwhisper, who hadn't moved an inch since they had gotten there. They looked perfectly fine… but perhaps that was because they were sitting vigil and weren't really supposed to be showing emotion.

Nodding to herself firmly, Firepaw padded into the apprentice's den, settling down into her nest. She placed the mouse down and started to chew on it thoughtfully, watching as other cats retreated to their dens for the night. And then before she knew it, the mouse was nothing but bones at her paws. Sighing quietly, she tucked the bones into the tufts of moss of her nest, figuring she'd clean up when she woke up.

With that, Firepaw fell into an uneasy sleep, easily reminded of how she had no one to protect her anymore.

* * *

The next morning, Firepaw had woken up relatively early. Her golden gaze landed on Amberheart and Snowwhisper, who were still on vigil. The ginger tabby padded towards the fresh-kill pile, not intending to get prey, but intending to get a better view of them. As soon as they were off guard, they had to sleep, and Firepaw wanted to make sure they got better sleep than she did.

So naturally, she got excited when she saw Squirrelflight's ginger form slink over to them, her green eyes glowing. Firepaw pricked her ears to catch their conversation. "...work! You guys may speak—and you can go rest now," her mother was saying.

"Thanks," Amberheart meowed, sighing in utter relief. Stretching her limbs, the white and gray warrior slinked over to the apprentices den at first, but then changed course once she realized she was going the wrong way. Snowwhisper snickered at this, blinking at his sister with tired eyes, but didn't move.

Squirrelflight gazed at him, her green eyes glowing in confusion. "Hello? I said you can go rest," the deputy meowed a bit impatiently. "So if you don't mind—"

"I'm gonna take a walk," Snowwhisper interrupted. "I'll be back soon."

The dark ginger deputy opened her jaws to retort, but before she could, the white tom had disappeared into the forest. Sighing, Squirrelflight turned and immediately spotted Firepaw. Her mother headed over, her tail swishing behind her.

"Firepaw, could you check on Snowwhisper for me?" she asked, picking up a vole from the fresh-kill pile before turning back to her daughter. "I can tell he's really tired. I don't think it's such a good idea that he's just wandering around. A predator could easily kill a dazed warrior, especially a new warrior."

"Got it," Firepaw meowed, nodding at her mother before running after Snowwhisper, determined to find him before he did something stupid.

The ginger tabby apprentice found the white tom in a field of flowers, sitting up. The sun was directly in front of him, giving him a glowing appearance. Firepaw blinked in surprise for a moment before snapping out of it, approaching Snowwhisper.

Before she could even say anything, the white warrior meowed, "Go away, Firepaw."

The tabby puffed, narrowing her eyes indignantly. "Well, _excuse _me," she snapped. "Squirrelflight told me to bring you back, so that's what I'm going to do."

Snowwhisper turned to her, his dark amber eyes transfixed into a glare. Despite the odd behavior from him, Firepaw didn't back down, matching his gaze. After a few moments, the warrior sighed, his expression softening until it transformed into a blank look. Firepaw frowned, waiting for him to say something, but he didn't. He just turned away from her, settling down on the smooth grass.

"Y'know, this place is really pretty," Snowwhisper meowed, not meeting Firepaw's gaze.

"Sure," the ginger tabby apprentice replied, looking at the multi-colored flowers ruffling in the light dawn breeze.

"I'm not going back," he said suddenly, startling her. Registering Firepaw's surprised look, he added, "I don't want to sleep. I can't, not really." Snowwhisper looked down at his paws, flattening his ears and frowning.

"How come?" the tabby asked softly.

The white warrior narrowed his eyes, glaring at his paws as if they had done something wrong. When he didn't look like he was going to talk, Firepaw knew she had to use drastic measures. She swallowed nervously, briefly imagining what Blossomfall would do to her if she found out. The tabby then shook her head, looking down at Snowwhisper with a determined expression.

It was now or never.

"Snowwhisper, Blossomfall is still doing special training with me."

The white tom flinched, looking up at Firepaw with wide eyes that were reflected into a crisp gold in the sunlight. "B-But you told me that you guys had stopped! In fact, just yesterday, you were training like you should!"

"We were secretly using unsheathed claws, but we didn't attack each other like we usually do," she murmured.

Snowwhisper opened and closed his jaws, trying to find anything to say to this. During this, Firepaw thought he looked strangely like a fish out of water.

"I'm really sorry. Blossomfall said I couldn't tell anyone," the ginger tabby added, looking at her paws. "...But I guess I'm a rebel, haha…." She laughed bitterly.

"Blossomfall trains in the Dark Forest," the white tom meowed. "She shouldn't be using these methods anyway! It's wrong, and if not, a bit stupid to use outside the Dark Forest." He whispered the last part of his ending sentence, but Firepaw picked up on it anyway.

"Even if it is wrong," Firepaw meowed, taking a deep breath, "I told you a secret, now tell me why you're deputy of the Dark Forest."

Silence.

After another few moments, Firepaw opened her jaws to snap at him, but then realized Snowwhisper was facing away from her, his stomach rising and falling gently. Taking a quick peek, she frowned in disappointment when she saw that he was asleep.

What luck.

Firepaw sighed. She had been so close to figuring out his secret, too! Since she couldn't just _leave _him there, (_I wish_, Firepaw thought) she moved to pick him up by his scruff, but then paused.

_Snowwhisper should be heavier than me…_

Grumbling in displeasure, Firepaw was now unsure what to do. If she couldn't bring him back to camp, then she supposed she had to just stay with him till he woke up.

The ginger tabby settled down beside Snowwhisper, her pelt brushing against his. She carefully wrapped her fluffy tail around him protectively, placing her chin on her paws. Her golden eyes glowed brightly in the morning light, which bathed the field in a gold-like sheen.

Closing her eyes but not sleeping, Firepaw sighed slightly, the sun making the two cats glow like a misplaced patch of fire and snow in the bright green flower field.

**The puns/plotholes in this chapter are honestly ridiculous xD But oh well, it can't be helped. We need luck in a story called Lucky, don't we? ;)**

**Anyway, Amberpaw and Snowpaw got their warrior names, Amberheart and Snowwhisper~! ...The double 'w' in Snowwhisper's name **_**kills **_**me, but I can't do anything about it now :U**

**Well, that's about it.. :D Oh, I also might draw the scene with Firepaw and Snowwhisper sitting next to each other in the field as this chapter's title card, but if not, I'm drawing the part where Toadstep and Blossomfall were flirting. xD**

**Okay, now this after-chapter AN is over! :D Did you like this chapter? Tell me what you think in a review! See you guys in the next chapter!**

**;; Orangeflight of ShadowClan**


	16. Chapter Fifteen: A Dream Encounter

**Hello, and welcome to chapter fifteen of Lucky! I got it here earlier (within the same month whoa), so I hope you guys appreciate it :3 I also made a new cover, do you like it? Anyways, to the review replies!**

**Lightningstar-of-NightClan: Thanks :3 And I won't reveal whether or not Blossomfall has Toadstep's kits, but it'll be said somewhere in later chapters if it happens. But I can guarantee that ThunderClan gets a new apprentice soon. He actually made an appearance in this chapter :D I'm glad you liked this chapter, and hope you enjoy this one!**

**Leafsplash-Of-ThunderClan: Aaa, yeah, that part really hurt to right. :( I feel so bad for Seedcloud too, she really did love Dewpaw deep down. **

**I'm glad you like their names! And Dewpaw's warrior name would've been Dewfrost, just thought I should tell you.. ;w; And yeah, that meadow scene will probably end up as one of my favorites, haha xD That Toadstep/Blossomfall flirting scene will probably go on the favorites list too, but somewhere near the bottom.**

**Thank you! :) **

**Okay… now, to chapter fifteen of Lucky!**

_Chapter Fifteen_

_With a huge yawn, _Firepaw opened her eyes. She looked around, and then immediately scowled when she realized she didn't recognize her surroundings. Flowers danced around her, blowing in a breeze that she couldn't feel, and moonlight made the grass shine a captivating silver.

"This kinda looks like that flower field," Firepaw murmured. But something was different here. She couldn't have possibly have been sleeping for that long. And Snowwhisper wasn't here. She was sure that he would've woke her up.

So where _was _she?

"Firepaw? Firepaw!"

The ginger tabby she-cat's head shot up, her ears pricked. She looked around, vaguely recognizing that voice.

Her suspicions confirmed, a white tom emerged into the open, his dark amber eyes wide with worry. Snowwhisper.

"Thank StarClan you're okay!" the warrior meowed in relief, stopping in front of her. "I was worried."

"I could tell," Firepaw replied blandly, examining him carefully. "You look okay, too."

But Snowwhisper dismissed this, blinking at the tabby apprentice hurriedly. "Where are we?" he asked, swiftly taking a look around.

"If I knew, don't you think I would've told you?" Firepaw snapped.

Snowwhisper flattened his ears. "Sorry," he mumbled under his breath.

Firepaw frowned, staring at him for a moment. His dark amber eyes glowed in the moonlight, and his white pelt blew in the breeze she still couldn't feel. She felt an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Snowwhisper," she started nervously, "I—"

"Snowwhisper! Oh, and Firepaw too!" a voice called, interrupting her.

Firepaw glared in the direction the voice was coming from, mentally hissing at whoever yelled. But when she realized who it was, she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Who is _that_?"

A black and white tom was running towards them, his dark green eyes wide in surprise. Herbs were in his jaws, but that didn't hinder him from going something probably equivalent to the speed of light.

The tom stopped in front of them, dropping the herbs at his white paws. "What are you guys doing here?" he asked, looking at them oddly.

"Um, who are you?" Snowwhisper asked, observing the bundle of herbs near him curiously.

"What? I thought you knew who I was!" the tom puffed, glaring at them for a moment before meowing, "I'm Nightpaw, medicine cat apprentice of ShadowClan!"

_Nightpaw? _For some reason, that name sounded familiar. Firepaw stared at him for a moment, but couldn't remember ever seeing him before. Frowning, she meowed, "Your name's familiar, I guess…. You're part of ShadowClan, though! It's not like you can expect us to recognize you."

Nightpaw huffed in annoyance, turning swiftly to look at Snowwhisper. "Come on, you know who I am too, right? Timberpaw's always going off on his rants about you." His dark green eyes glowed in amusement.

Firepaw's head swivelled up at the mention of the ShadowClan apprentice's name, but before she could say anything, a snarl from Snowwhisper interrupted her. "Well tell that mangy, no-good _rogue _that at least I'm a warrior now!" he hissed.

While Nightpaw chuckled, Firepaw was left confused. _Whoa. How come he doesn't like Timberpaw? ...I didn't think he was capable of hating anyone. _

Snowwhisper scowled sourly, glaring down at the ground. Firepaw gazed at the black and white ShadowClan apprentice intently, and then asked, "Where are we, anyway? And why are you here?"

"Oh!" Nightpaw jumped to attention, his eyes suddenly becoming more serious. "Right. You two are currently located in the dream realm, a place where cats rarely go when they go to sleep. Congratulations—you two are the first two to ever come together!"

"The dream realm?" Firepaw meowed, looking at him curiously. "So… is this where dreams are created, or something?"

"No, of course not!" Nightpaw replied, looking as if he choked on a laugh. "Trust me, I thought the same thing. But no, it's where StarClan approves of dreams."

"Hm." Snowwhisper huffed in annoyance. Firepaw immediately realized what he was thinking about, and frowned thoughtfully.

"I know what you're thinking," the black and white medicine cat apprentice meowed, "so then why do we get nightmares? Well, some StarClan cats just don't like some cats living on the ground, or they're tricksters, so they approve nightmares to mess with them. I think it's kind of unnecessary, but oh well."

"Definitely unnecessary," Snowwhisper muttered under his breath, while the ginger tabby apprentice just stayed quiet.

"...Anyway," Nightpaw continued after a short pause, "I'm assuming you want to leave? I mean, it is about sun-high in the real world by now, and I bet Squirrelflight's looking for you two."

"Yes, but—"

"How do you know so much about us?" Snowwhisper cut in, narrowing his dark amber eyes suspiciously at the black and white apprentice. "You may be a medicine cat apprentice, but even experienced medicine cats in other Clans don't know this much."

"Oh." Suddenly, Nightpaw smiled lightly at him. "Well, I've been sick for a few days—_very _sick—so I've been hanging out around here when I'm sleeping. And you know, Dewpaw and Timberpaw's talking combined is a lot of information." He snickered, lashing his tail in amusement.

"Well, I'm sorry that you're sick…." Firepaw paused for a moment, blinking. Suddenly, she gasped, looking at Nightpaw with wide eyes. "Wait a minute! You're Timberpaw's brother!"

"How long did it take to figure that one out?" Nightpaw asked, amusement dancing in his dark green eyes.

Firepaw puffed in annoyance, glaring at him. "Well, it's not like he pointed you out to me…" she muttered under her breath.

The black and white apprentice just snickered.

"Come on, Firepaw," Snowwhisper growled under his breath, giving Nightpaw a wary glance. "Let's get out of here. He's right about how Squirrelflight will be looking for us, at least."

"I guess," the ginger tabby apprentice murmured, looking down at her paws. "Is it the same rules as StarClan to wake up?"

"Yeah!" Nightpaw chirped, his eyes lighting up. "Just think of waking up and you'll wake up."

Snowwhisper passed another suspicious glare at the black and white medicine cat apprentice, and then scowled. He closed his eyes, and then disappeared into a burst of starlight, not leaving a trace of his presence.

Firepaw frowned at the place the snow-white warrior had been standing, contemplating his behavior around Nightpaw and his apparent attitude with Timberpaw. She blinked her golden eyes, wondering what had happened between Snowwhisper and Timberpaw to have caused him to give off a bad vibe.

"Firepaw?" Nightpaw's voice interrupted her thoughts. The black and white medicine cat apprentice was looking at her, his dark green eyes filled with worry. "Is something wrong?"

The ginger tabby apprentice shook her head swiftly. "No, it's nothing..." she meowed, trailing off. "Just... tell Timberpaw I said hi." And with that, Firepaw closed her eyes, fading away from the dream realm.

* * *

"Squirrelflight's going to _kill _us when we get back to camp," Firepaw muttered under her breath, stretching her limbs and breathing in the sweet scent of the flower field. "Do you realize how long ago dawn was? She probably thinks we were attacked or something!"

Snowwhisper snorted, opening his jaws to say something, but the ginger tabby apprentice interrupted him. "This is all your fault, you know," she hissed. "If you'd never fallen asleep here in the first place, we wouldn't be here right now!"

"I'm sorry," the white warrior meowed, looking down at his paws. His tail ruffled a few flower petals as it lashed behind him. "I was… I was _scared_."

Firepaw stared at him in confusion. "...Scared?"

"Of waking up in the Dark Forest," he whispered. "If Mapleshade found out I was a warrior, that'd mean I'd be more useful for her evil plot."

The ginger tabby was about to ask who Mapleshade was, but then thought better of it. She bit the inside of her cheek, frowning thoughtfully. "Yeah, I guess so…. Wait! That's what we were talking about! Why are you the deputy of the Dark Forest?"

When Snowwhisper looked away, Firepaw unsheathed her claws and dug them into the soil, keeping in a hiss of fury. "Come _on_, Snowwhisper! I told you that Blossomfall was still giving me special training, so what more do you want?!"

The snow-white warrior looked at his paws again. Firepaw sighed, looking away from Snowwhisper. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. _Bramblestar and Squirrelflight always said I should try to keep a level-head when trying to talk to nervous cats. Maybe I should just be patient…._

"Let's get back to camp," Firepaw murmured, stalking through the flowers back to the camp. Flicking her ears, she heard Snowwhisper following her, and let out another sigh. _He'll tell me later._

When the two cats got near camp, Firepaw expected to hear the loud, joking voices of the warriors and the commanding voice of Squirrelflight. But when she heard neither, her ears shot up, her fur prickling slightly. She felt Snowwhisper tense behind her, and she quickened her pace, her golden eyes wide with worry.

Firepaw and Snowwhisper crashed into the camp, their fur fluffed up and their claws out, as if expecting an attack. But everyone was gathered around the Nursery, their tails lashing or pacing in a circle. The ginger tabby apprentice stopped in her tracks, her whiskers twitching in curiosity. What was happening?

Just then, a yowl shattered the air, making Firepaw flinch. Snowwhisper appeared by her side, his amber eyes wide in worry. "That sounded like Cinderheart," he meowed. "Maybe she's having her kits…"

The ginger tabby apprentice's eyes widened. "That would definitely distract a lot of cats. Maybe nobody noticed we were gone except for Squirrelflight…."

"Let's hope," Snowwhisper muttered, and then making his voice louder, he added, "I'm gonna get to the front of the crowd and see what's going on." He padded forward, pushing past cats a bit impatiently. Jumping, Firepaw followed after him.

When she got to the front, her eyes widened. Lilypool and Jayfeather were praising Cinderheart, and two kits lay in the crook of her belly, mewing pitifully and pawing at their mother's gray striped fur. A broken stick lay at the gray tabby queen's paws.

Suddenly, Lionblaze squeezed through Firepaw and Snowwhisper, his fur standing on end. Then, he let out a rumbling purr, walking into the Nursery and sitting beside Cinderheart. "Wow," he breathed, his amber eyes soft. "They're beautiful…"

As Cinderheart murmured, "What should we name them?", Lilypool ducked her head out of the Nursery, Jayfeather nodding and following after her. It was probably to give the two cats privacy.

"We should give them privacy, too," Snowwhisper murmured, bringing Firepaw back to the present. The ginger tabby nodded, looking away from the scene and padding off towards the fresh-kill pile. The moment Lionblaze looked at Cinderheart like that, she had an odd feeling in her chest.

She wanted to be looked at like that someday, too.

Absentmindedly, Firepaw picked a thrush from the fresh-kill pile, digging her teeth into its feathers. She settled near the Nursery, pricking her ears. She spat out the brown feathers, and then sank her jaws into the still-warm body. She relished the feeling, swallowing the juicy meat.

But even as she ate, she listened to Cinderheart and Lionblaze's conversation. "How about we name the golden tabby one Fogkit?" the queen was saying. "His markings mix a bit and look like fog."

"I like that name," Lionblaze replied, a purr in his words. "And let's name the gray tabby and white one Stormkit."

"That's perfect," came Cinderheart's purr, and Firepaw's ears twitched. _Fogkit and Stormkit? Hmm… they seem a little RiverClan-y, but oh well._

Finishing off the thrush, the ginger tabby shook her head and got to her paws. Ruffling her fur, she looked around for Blossomfall, wondering if she could get some battle training in today. Spotting the tortoiseshell helping Briarlight, Firepaw crossed over to her, her golden eyes glowing.

"Hey Blossomfall!" the apprentice meowed, blinking at her. "I was wondering—"

"No," her tortoiseshell mentor interrupted her, giving her a glare. "Sorry, but I'm going to hang around Briarlight all day. She says she feels a little sick, and since Jayfeather and Lilypool are so distracted by Cinderheart's new kits, they can't be bothered to help her." Blossomfall snorted in disgust, muttering, "What kind of medicine cats are they?"

Briarlight nudged her sister's leg with her head, frowning at her. "Come on, can you really blame them? I heard they were cute from Lilypool."

"I suppose they are," Blossomfall muttered.

Firepaw looked at her mentor and Blossomfall, frowning. "What should I do, then?" she asked.

"Go train with Toadstep," the tortoiseshell meowed, looking past her. Firepaw turned her head to see the black and white warrior chatting with Hazeltail, who was out of the Nursery to give Lionblaze and Cinderheart space. When Blossomfall started to speak again, the tabby quickly turned back to look at her. "Ever since Snowwhisper became a warrior, he's been restless."

"What about Thornclaw and Poppyfrost?" the ginger tabby asked, looking around to spot the two warriors near each other. Thornclaw was pawing at a mouse absentmindedly, while Poppyfrost looked upset, circling around the golden-brown tom.

"Do whatever you want, then," Blossomfall replied, not bothering to answer her question. Before Firepaw could say anything more, the tortoiseshell led Briarlight away, who mewed a hasty goodbye.

The tabby apprentice sighed, looking at the ground in disappointment. She supposed she could ask Toadstep to train her. She was more familiar with him anyway.

When Firepaw reached Toadstep, she dipped her head, and Hazeltail immediately ended her sentence. The gray and white queen gave her a smile, and Toadstep blinked down at her. "Yes, Firepaw?"

"Blossomfall wanted me to train with you today," the ginger tabby apprentice meowed. "She's taking care of Briarlight today."

"Isn't that Lilypool and Jayfeather's job?" the black and white warrior snorted, glaring down at her. "Now, if you have a _real _reason—"

"I'm serious!" Firepaw snapped, interrupting him. "We're training, _right now_, so you'd better get off your lazy tail and do as Blossomfall says!"

Toadstep sighed. He looked at Hazeltail, scowling. "Sorry, Hazeltail," he meowed. "I didn't expect to be dealing with rowdy apprentices today." He shot Firepaw a glare, and the ginger tabby's fur bristled angrily.

"Why don't you go train?" the queen meowed, opening her jaws in a yawn. "I was getting tired, anyway. I'm sure Lionblaze and Cinderheart have named their kits by now."

Toadstep opened his jaws to retort, but Hazeltail had already padded off. Sighing in exasperation, he got to his paws, ruffling his fur. "You got lucky," he muttered, his amber eyes flashing.

Firepaw let out a low hiss of irritation. She knew that this stupid ball of fluff was no good for her mentor. Why Blossomfall even _liked _him was a mystery.

The black and white warrior padded towards the exit of camp, Firepaw reluctantly following him. But before the two cats could exit camp, a voice stopped them right in their tracks.

"Can I… come with you?"

Firepaw turned her head to see Seedcloud, her green eyes sad and upset. She knew that the ginger warrior was still devastated about Dewpaw's death, and it definitely showed in her posture. Her fur was ruffled and dusty like she hadn't washed it in days (_although it had only been one day_, Firepaw noted) and her ears were flat on her head.

Toadstep noticed this as well, and meowed, "I… guess you could come, Seedcloud. I suppose you need practice with training an apprentice, anyway."

The ginger warrior's eyes lighted up, but they still looked a bit dull. "Good," she murmured, falling in beside them as they walked out of camp. "I needed a distraction…."

Firepaw felt a flash of guilt, but then immediately shook it away. _No, _she snapped to herself quietly, _it's not my fault Dewpaw died_. Her tail twitched from side to side, and she gazed at the back of Seedcloud's head silently. The warrior's tail dragged on the ground, and she looked as if she were slouching.

Firepaw opened her jaws to meow reassuring words to Seedcloud, but before she could, Toadstep's tail flicked her nose, making her sneeze. The tabby apprentice jumped with a hiss, but stopped dead when she realized the two warriors in front of her were distracted by something. She opened her jaws to sniff the air, and then stiffened.

_Fox!_

Seedcloud's tail flicked off the ground, gently stirring the grass near her. But with a hiss from Toadstep, she flattened her ginger tail on the ground again. The black and white warrior inched forward towards a few bushes, and then parted them out of the way. Firepaw and Seedcloud followed after him, careful not to make a sound.

Firepaw peered through the bushes, and her tail twitched, seeing a russet-colored animal eating a frog. Toadstep let out a low growl, his ears twitching as he rose his nose into the air again.

"ShadowClan!" he hissed.

_ShadowClan and a fox? _Firepaw wondered, her golden eyes wide. She felt Seedcloud's tail rest on her flank, but she made no move to register it made her feel better.

Suddenly, a yowl rang through the air, and cats burst out of the bushes on the other side of the clearing. Firepaw recognized Timberpaw's silver tabby and white pelt flash amongst other warriors as they headed towards the fox. The ginger creature whipped around, snarling. It lashed out a cream-colored paw, but a ShadowClan warrior nimbly dodged it and clawed the fox's muzzle, making it let out a growl of pain.

Timberpaw shot forward then, going for the offensive. His paws battered the fox's side, leaving deep scratches in its fur. The fox growled again, getting to its paws and sending Timberpaw flying with a hard blow to his side. The ginger creature inched towards him, sniffing and baring its teeth.

A black she-cat moved to help him, but suddenly, another fox burst into the scene. The black warrior squeaked in surprise as the larger fox swept her off her paws with a harsh blow. The warriors meowed in alarm and surged forward, two going for the larger fox while one broke off to help Timberpaw.

Firepaw let out a low hiss of alarm, seeing one of the foxes scratch a wound in the light brown tabby tom defending Timberpaw's cheek. "We have to help them!" she meowed under her breath, looking at Toadstep with wide eyes.

Toadstep's fur was standing on end, and he growled, "They're trespassing on our territory, so let them pay the price."

Firepaw hissed, moving forward to help them, but suddenly, teeth grabbed her tail, stopping her. She turned around, glaring at Seedcloud, who's green eyes were dull, but were apologetic. The warrior nodded, but Firepaw shook her head furiously. "They'll be killed!" she spat.

"Then so be it," Toadstep meowed grimly.

The ginger tabby apprentice was forced to watch as a fox chased around two ShadowClan warriors, and the other one attacked the brown tabby and Timberpaw, shaking off their attacks as if it were nothing. Her golden eyes widened with worry when the fox landed a particularly hard blow to her silver tabby friend, causing him to sprawl on the ground a few mouse-lengths away.

"Toadstep…" Firepaw whimpered, giving him another glance, but his expression didn't change. _Oh, StarClan, what am I going to do?_

Just then, a loud yowl split the air. Firepaw's head swivelled up quickly just as a lean, black and white tom jumped out of the bushes, landing on the larger fox's head. The fox snarled, shaking to get him off, but the tom dug his claws in, his blue eyes flashing in triumph. Then the fox let out a whimper, falling to the ground with a big _thump!_.

The black and white tom jumped off the fox, and it ran off, flattening its ears to its head as blood trickled down its face. He smirked as it ran off, and then turned towards the other fox.

It seemed he didn't have to do anything. Noticing that its companion was gone, the fox stopped attacking and looked around. It let out a low growl, glaring at Timberpaw and the brown tabby before racing off after the other fox, leaving the half-eaten frog behind.

"Ha! Pathetic fox-trash!" the brown tabby spat, fluffing out his fur proudly.

"I believe I did all the fighting," the black and white tom replied smoothly, making the brown tabby warrior deflate. "So you should be thanking me."

"Oh, yes, thank you," the black warrior mewed hastily, dipping her head in gratitude. "If it hadn't been for you, we never would have chased those foxes off."

"It was no problem, really," the black and white tom meowed, flicking his tail. "I'd do anything to help cats in need."

"Where are you from?" a dark gray tom asked, sniffing him hesitantly. "You don't smell like any Clan I know of."

"Clans?" The black and white tom's blue eyes were as wide as moons. "Oh, I don't live in a Clan! I live with my brother just beyond this forest."

"So you're a loner, then?" the dark gray warrior asked, looking at him carefully.

"Uh, sure!" the tom chirped, his eyes shining. "Do you live in a Clan, too? I've always wanted to know about them!"

The dark gray tom opened his jaws to reply, but just then, Toadstep stepped out into the open, his amber eyes narrowed. Seedcloud released her grip on Firepaw's tail and nudged her forward so that she stood by the black and white warrior's side. The ginger she-cat went on the other side of Toadstep, fluffing out her fur to make herself look threatening.

"What are you doing here, _ShadowClan_?" Toadstep spat, his tail lashing behind him. "This is ThunderClan territory."

The ShadowClan patrol jumped, as did the black and white loner. Timberpaw's green eyes flashed with recognition when his gaze landed on Firepaw, but he said nothing, his whiskers twitching lightly.

The dark gray tom stepped forward, his orange eyes narrowed. "We were just trying to chase out the fox that stole our prey," he meowed smoothly, flicking his tail towards the half-eaten frog. "We didn't know we had trespassed."

Toadstep took a pace forward, glaring at him. "Scorchfur, you're the ShadowClan deputy," he hissed. "I'm sure you know your Clan boundaries by now."

Scorchfur's fur fluffed up to make him look twice his size, and he spat, "Well, if you don't appreciate us chasing out _two _foxes, then maybe you're just looking for a fight!"

The rest of the ShadowClan patrol growled, except for Timberpaw, who's gaze didn't seem to want to waver anywhere else but to Firepaw. His green eyes glowed with worry, and his fur started to bristle as his patrol stepped forward, their claws flashing in the sunlight.

Firepaw flinched when Toadstep moved forward, baring his teeth. She looked between both the ShadowClan patrol and to her own mini patrol, and then meowed, "Stop!"

The ShadowClan patrol froze, and Firepaw caught a glimpse of Timberpaw's eyes filled with gratitude before turning to Toadstep and Seedcloud. "Why are we fighting? They just chased off two foxes, and you're mad?"

The black and white warrior's fur bristled. "They're _trespassing_!"

The black and white loner stepped forward, his blue eyes confused. "So? But they helped you chase away foxes. It's not like they did anything bad, right?"

"Listen, _loner_," Toadstep spat crossly, saying it as if it were crow-food. "You may not know Clan customs, but we do, and no matter what you cross the border for, we still have the right to challenge you. This includes you, too."

The loner shrunk back, staying quiet.

Toadstep sweeped his amber gaze across the clearing, his tail flicking restlessly behind him. "Although… I suppose you two do have a point."

Firepaw brightened up immediately, and the loner stood up taller, fluffing up his fur. Timberpaw smiled lightly in the background.

Seedcloud stepped forward, dipping her head at the ShadowClan patrol. "Thank you for chasing off those foxes. We'll be sure to tell Bramblestar," she meowed respectfully. Then, turning to the black and white loner, she added, "Thank you, as well. Although, this is ThunderClan territory. It'd be best if you went home."

"O-Okay," the black and white tom meowed, blinking at her before turning tail and racing back through the forest to where he lived.

Seedcloud sighed, her authority over the situation draining and being replaced by her sad and upset look again. Firepaw felt yet another spark of guilt, but forced it down by looking over at Toadstep, smirking at him.

The black and white warrior sighed. "Okay. Thanks, ShadowClan," he meowed dryly. He then turned around, flicking his tail. "Come on, let's report back to Bramblestar."

Firepaw followed him, but before she disappeared into the bushes, she gave the ShadowClan patrol one last look. They looked fine, but she saw that black she-cat hiding a grimace and Scorchfur limping on one paw. She frowned, looking at Timberpaw. She was filled with a sense of relief that he only had minor injuries. She wanted to make sure she saw him at the Gathering tomorrow.

With that, Firepaw flicked her tail to wave goodbye, and then walked into the bushes, following Toadstep and Seedcloud back to camp.

* * *

"The fox stole prey from ShadowClan?" Bramblestar asked, sweeping his gaze over the three cats present in his den. "And then there was another fox that came out of nowhere? ...And then you're saying a loner came and chased both of them off to help ShadowClan?"

"Yep," Toadstep confirmed, nodding his head.

The dark brown tabby leader looked thoughtful for a moment, before meowing, "Okay. Toadstep, Seedcloud, you are dismissed."

The two warriors dipped their head to him, and then slunk out of the den silently. Firepaw moved to follow them, but her father stopped her.

"Wait," the tabby meowed. "I didn't say you could leave, Firepaw."

The ginger tabby apprentice grumbled under her breath, but sat down again, curling her tail neatly around her paws. "Yes, Bramblestar?" she asked, her golden eyes narrowed slightly.

"I didn't want to say this to Blossomfall directly, but I think she's… getting slower lately," her father meowed, looking at her intently.

"Really?" Firepaw asked, blinking at him.

"Yes," Bramblestar meowed, nodding at his daughter. "I just want you to know. If anything happens, I might need to assign you a temporary mentor."

_A temporary mentor? For what? _Firepaw swallowed down her questions, her whiskers twitching in understanding. "Okay," she meowed. She stared at him for a moment, and then added, "Is that all?"

Bramblestar nodded. "You're dismissed."

Firepaw dipped her head to her father, then shot out of his den gracelessly. She thought she heard Bramblestar sigh in annoyance, but she ignored it. She looked around, spotting Snowwhisper and Amberheart sharing prey. Still full from the thrush she had earlier, she ignored them, instead heading towards the apprentices den.

Firepaw settled down in her nest, opening her jaws in a yawn. It wasn't moon-high, but it was pretty close, and she had woken up really early today…

She rested her head on her paws, gazing into the darkness of the apprentices den. She still wished she wasn't the only apprentice. By the time Fogkit and Stormkit became apprentices, she'd be a warrior.

Sighing, Firepaw closed her eyes, falling into an uneasy sleep.

**Well, that's the end of the chapter! I'm still glad that I finished this so early, I'm really excited haha xD I just hope you guys like it!**

**..The only people reviewing have been Leafy and Sapphire, and I just wanna say I like hearing from everyone on what they think! :3 So don't be shy, I don't bite!**

**Anyway, here are the QOTD's!**

**QOTD #1: Who do you think were the other cats on the ShadowClan patrol? (Y'know, other than Scorchfur and Timberpaw)**

**QOTD #2: What do you think is wrong with Blossomfall?**

**That's it for now :D See you guys next chapter!**

**~Orangeflight of ShadowClan**


	17. Chapter Sixteen: A Brewing Storm

**Hello, and welcome to another chapter of Lucky! ...I need to go review a few fanfics, I feel obliged to them but then I never review them and ;-; Oh well, I might do it later… the fanfics do get enough reviews on their own, hehe… D':**

**Well, anyway, time for the review replies...!**

**Lightningstar-of-NightClan: Hehe, yep, Blossomfall's pregnant! And I'll list all the cats who were on the patrol at the end of this chapter xD And yeah, Nightpaw's pretty cool! The loner will return, I'll guarantee that, and you'll have to find his brother throughout the story, because he's in here, but he's never identified as his brother xD**

**Leafsplash-Of-ThunderClan: No, Dewpaw's not alive, sorry D: He meant that Dewpaw hangs around the dream realm sometimes so he and Nightpaw get to talk, and when Nightpaw's awake he talks to Timberpaw… sorry to crush your Dew-related dreams ;-;**

**Thank you! And yeah, Firepaw and Snowwhisper do get along a lot better than they did before, although their relationship is still unstable xD Oh well. And Timberpaw does play a lot in this story actually, he's not just some random friendly side character lol 3**

**Yep, one of the cats was Pinenose, but the brown tabby wasn't Tigerheart :3 I'll list all the cats on the patrol at the end of the chapter. And yeah, Blossomfall is pregnant :3 I'm excited because her kits will be so cute..!**

**I'm really glad you liked the last chapter, and the new cover! :D**

**Aaand, that's it for those! Don't forget to review guys, following and favoriting means nothing to me if you don't even review ~ uvu**

**Well, here's the chapter!**

_Chapter Sixteen_

_Firepaw dashed through the underbrush, _her underbelly brushing against the long grass. She heard the thud of Blossomfall's paw steps behind her, and quickened her pace, letting out a snicker. Her mentor snarled in annoyance, but Firepaw continued on, her expression changing to amusement.

The ginger tabby apprentice skidded to a halt in a large clearing, whipping around to face her tortoiseshell mentor. Blossomfall huffed, stopping in the clearing. Her face looked strained, and she sagged as if she were tired.

"Are we going to do special training today?" Firepaw asked excitedly, her tail tip lashing to and fro.

Blossomfall sighed, her green eyes dim. "No," she meowed tiredly. "We're going to do a practice assessment today. You go hunt, and I'll watch. Bring back three pieces of prey."

Firepaw's ears twitched in confusion. "Um... okay." She was about to question Blossomfall's motives, but then she remembered what Bramblestar had told her. The ginger tabby flicked her tail and padded off, looking at the tall trees above her.

It didn't take her long to find something. A rustle echoed through the area, and Firepaw tensed, lowering herself to a crouch. A hare poked its head out of the bushes, and Firepaw let out a low gasp. _It's huge!_

The tabby apprentice shook her head, fixing her expression. She couldn't be scared now, not when the soft rustle of leaves on the ground told her that Blossomfall was watching. Firepaw inched toward the hare, narrowing her eyes and slowly unsheathing her claws. The hare's ears flicked up, and Firepaw froze, waiting for it to make its move.

But suddenly, a yowl split the air, making the hare prepare to dash off. A dark brown blur stopped it, digging its claws into the piece of prey. The hare let out a squeak, struggling to get away, but it was silenced forever when the cat swiped their claws against its throat.

Firepaw stared, her golden eyes wide in disbelief. _That's not a ThunderClan cat!_

Blossomfall knew this too, leaping out of the bushes with a hiss. "What are you doing in our territory?" she growled, lashing her tail.

The dark brown cat licked his paw, which was stained with the hare's blood. "I didn't know you could just claim land," the tom meowed, his dark amber eyes narrowing. "Why don't you pretty kitties scram before I get angry?"

"Pretty kitty?" Blossomfall snarled, her eyes blazing in green fire. "I am a full-fledged ThunderClan _warrior_!"

"Yes, sure," the dark brown tom replied nonchalantly, licking his paw again. "And I suppose the short orange kitty is a ThunderClan warrior, too?"

Firepaw held back a hiss, narrowing her golden eyes. "What are you doing here," she grounded out, making it sound more like a statement than a question.

"Don't mind me," the tom purred, picking up the piece of prey. He turned to pad off, when Blossomfall launched onto him with a hiss of fury. The dark brown tom let out a _mrrow! _of surprise, dropping the hare.

Firepaw watched in amazement as her mentor fought with the strange tom, giving him scratches and biting him angrily. The dark brown tom fought back, giving her mentor blows and biting her flank.

The dark brown tom was winning, to Firepaw's astonishment. He clawed at Blossomfall's legs, making her stop for a moment, and then he completely bowled her over, standing over her. He smirked, showing his teeth.

"Any last words?" he asked breathily, his amber eyes narrowed. He aimed his paw towards Blossomfall's neck, his claws slowly sliding out. He chuckled as the tortoiseshell she-cat squirmed under his grip, her green eyes wide with fear.

Firepaw's eyes widened as she saw Blossomfall look scared like that. Something was wrong—her mentor would never be afraid of anything! The ginger tabby bunched her muscles just as the dark brown tom pulled his paw closer to the tortoiseshell's throat. With a hiss, Firepaw launched forward and knocked him over, digging her claws into his side.

"Stay away from her!" the ginger tabby growled, biting and scratching him fiercely. The tom didn't have a chance. He broke away from her, his amber eyes narrowed, but he breathed heavily.

"I'll be back," he snarled, saliva dripping from his lips. Firepaw winced in disgust, and the dark brown tom let out another hiss. He turned and jogged off, leaving a bloody paw print trail.

Once the tom had left, Firepaw immediately turned to Blossomfall, who was still lying down. "Are you okay?" she asked, bounding over to her.

"I'm fine," her mentor sighed, struggling to get to her paws. Firepaw pressed her shoulder against Blossomfall's, helping her to her feet. The she-cat let out a shuddering breath, her green eyes still lit up with fear.

The ginger tabby apprentice looked up at Blossomfall worriedly. _This is so odd… what scared her?_

"Oh, Firepaw," her mentor murmured, plopping back down on the ground. "Grab the hare and… we need to get back to camp."

"We can get the hare later," the ginger tabby meowed, helping Blossomfall to her paws again. "Blossomfall, we need to take you to Jayfeather and Lilypool."

"No, I'm fine," Blossomfall snapped suddenly, startling Firepaw. "I'm… fine…" Her voice dropped to a whisper, and she looked tired again, as if she hadn't gotten any sleep.

"Blossomfall—"

"Firepaw, get the hare," the tortoiseshell ordered tiredly. "I'll follow you, okay?"

The ginger tabby held her tongue, just nodding her head hesitantly. She stalked towards the hare, picking it up between her teeth carefully, and then padded off towards the camp. Blossomfall slowly followed, and Firepaw had to slow down occasionally just so her mentor could catch up.

As Firepaw gave another glance to Blossomfall, she couldn't help but wonder what was wrong. Yes, Blossomfall was hurt, but she had been tired before she fought that strange tom.

_Oh, maybe Bramblestar was right…._

* * *

"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the High Ledge for a Clan meeting!"

The cats let out grumbles of annoyance. It was almost moon-high, which meant most cats were going to be tired. But Firepaw burst out of the apprentices den excitedly, her golden eyes wide. The Gathering was tonight, and she was really hoping that she got to go.

As she settled in between Birchfall and Lionblaze, she gazed up at her father, who stood regally among the shadows of the camp. His dark brown tabby pelt rippled as he stepped forward slightly, his eyes flashing.

"As you all know, tonight is the Gathering," Bramblestar meowed. "...I should've picked cats to go much earlier than this, but I was busy with something." He glanced at Firepaw, and the ginger tabby apprentice frowned slightly. Earlier, she told her father about Blossomfall's behavior, and she'd been assigned a temporary mentor. But it took him a while to pick a good warrior, and she ended up with Foxleap, who was excited to be picked as a mentor. Blossomfall was in Jayfeather and Lilypool's den for the time being, but secretly, Firepaw thought Foxleap would be her mentor until she became a warrior.

"So," Bramblestar continued, bringing Firepaw back to the present, "I shall pick the cats who get to go now. Brackenfur, Cloudtail, Brightheart, Birchfall, Leafpool, Foxleap, Spiderleg, Icecloud, Cherryfeather, Dovewing, Ivypool, Molewhisker, Seedcloud, Amberheart, Snowwhisper, and Firepaw."

Firepaw jumped to her paws, her golden eyes glowing excitedly, and Birchfall's tail flicked joyfully. Lionblaze meowed a "Congratulations!" to them both, and then moved towards the entrance of the Nursery to sit beside Cinderheart.

Amberheart and Seedcloud padded up to her, grinning at Firepaw. The ginger tabby was relieved that Seedcloud seemed to be out of her slump, and she gave the two warriors a smile back. "We're going to the Gathering," she purred.

"Yeah," Amberheart purred back, blinking her orange eyes at her.

"Okay, now all cats going to the Gathering, come to me!" Bramblestar leaped down the High Ledge and padded towards the exit to camp. The cats selected all followed after him, Firepaw waiting a moment before following after the small-ish crowd. Seedcloud and Amberheart bounded after her.

The walk was pretty much silent, except for Seedcloud and Amberheart's loud chattering behind her. Firepaw let out a soft snort of amusement, and contributed to some of their conversations, but mostly stayed silent with the rest of the Clan. But sometime along the way, Snowwhisper suddenly appeared by her side.

"Can we talk?" the white tom asked, gazing at her expectantly. But, throwing a glance at his sister and Seedcloud, he added, "In private?"

"I… guess," Firepaw muttered, grumbling slightly. She broke off from the crowd of cats, ignoring the curious glances she received, and sat down in front of Snowwhisper.

"Great," the warrior meowed, and then his expression changed to a serious one. "Listen, Firepaw, I saw that rogue attack you and Blossomfall."

"W-what?" Firepaw stuttered in disbelief. _But I didn't detect anyone there! And I definitely didn't spill the catmint!_

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Snowwhisper pushed on, his dark amber eyes narrowing. "Bramblestar should've known this happened. Now the whole Clan may be in danger!"

"He's just one cat," the ginger tabby hissed back, her fur bristling. "How much trouble could he really be?"

"No Firepaw," the white warrior growled. "You don't realize what you've done! He's going to—"

"Firepaw? Snowwhisper? What are you doing back here?" a voice interrupted. A rustling sound came from up ahead, and Brackenfur poked his head through the foliage, his amber eyes lighting up in surprise. "Oh! I hope I didn't interrupt anything!"

"You didn't," Firepaw meowed, casting a sideways glare at Snowwhisper.

"Well, Bramblestar and the rest of the Clan are by the Tree Bridge, but he's waiting for you two before he lets anyone cross," the golden brown tabby warrior meowed. He looked at them both for a moment, before adding, "What exactly are you two doing, anyway?"

"It was nothing important," Snowwhisper murmured, looking down at his paws for a moment before getting to his paws. "Sorry to have kept you waiting," the white tom meowed, his voice louder.

"Yeah, I'm sorry too," Firepaw meowed quickly, scrambling to her paws. She narrowed her eyes, glancing at Snowwhisper again before padding past Brackenfur, who seemed to be confused. She found the Clan in a heartbeat, gathered around the Tree Bridge like moths to a flame.

When she spotted Bramblestar, the ginger tabby pushed her way towards him. "Sorry," Firepaw meowed once she had reached him, her whiskers twitching anxiously. "I hope this doesn't make us late to the Gathering…."

"Oh, shush Firepaw," her father purred, giving a swift lick on her head to calm her down. "We're just in time, so don't even worry about it."

Amberheart and Seedcloud came to her sides, adding, "Yeah, we understand you and Snowwhisper needed to talk. It's not as if the whole Clan doesn't know you're both on bad terms with each other."

"We still are," Firepaw muttered.

Bramblestar jumped on the Tree Bridge, letting out a yowl for the rest of the Clan to follow. Firepaw gazed at the tree, and then flinched, remembering when she fell off. She dug her claws into the ground slightly as she padded forward, carefully mounting onto the tree. She felt someone get on behind her, gently pushing her forward as she walked. Firepaw gave a quiet thanks to whoever it was.

When Firepaw jumped onto the Gathering Island, she turned around to thank the cat who helped her, but was surprised to see no one. She looked around, her gold eyes wide in confusion, but everyone was chatting with someone, not paying attention to her.

_Who was…?_

"Firepaw!"

The ginger tabby turned to spot Timberpaw, waving his tail for her to come over. Firepaw gave him a huge smile, bounding over to the gray tabby and white ShadowClan apprentice. "Hey Timberpaw," she purred, settling down beside him.

"Looks like I saw you before a Gathering again," the tabby apprentice purred back, smiling back at her. "Those foxes were pretty worthy opponents. It's a good thing that loner showed up when he did! And the way you stood up for ShadowClan after the battle—that was so cool!"

Firepaw's ears burned in embarrassment. "Oh, come on, it wasn't that great…."

"No, it was!" Timberpaw continued on, his green eyes glowing in admiration. "Now maybe ShadowClan and ThunderClan could be allies, all because of you!"

"That would be nice…" Firepaw started, but before she could continue, a voice interrupted her.

"ThunderClan and ShadowClan as _allies_? Maybe in your dreams!"

Firepaw and Timberpaw turned their heads and saw Amberheart and Seedcloud sitting there, their eyes lit up in amusement. Amberheart was the one who had spoken, and she was looking at Timberpaw. "Firepaw, is this your new friend, or something? He's a bit of an air-head!"

The gray tabby and white ShadowClan apprentice scoffed, narrowing his eyes. "Well, excuse me for hoping we could be friends," he muttered.

The ginger tabby she-cat frowned. "Amberheart, don't be mean! He was just speaking his mind, y'know. It's kinda like how Dewpaw was—" Firepaw forced herself to ignore Amberheart's flinch and Seedcloud's shudder, "—so you should be able to accept it."

Timberpaw blinked in confusion at the hesitance the warriors had with Dewpaw, but Firepaw already looked horrified, streaming apologies. "Oh my StarClan, I didn't mean—I'm _so_ sorry—please forgive me—"

"Whatever, it's okay Firepaw," Amberheart meowed, giving her a shaky smile. "It's all water under the Tree Bridge now, haha…."

Seedcloud nodded in agreement, but there was pain in her eyes and she looked like she had yesterday, slouching and sad.

Firepaw flattened her ears, murmuring, "Sorry." She padded off, inwardly giving a lopsided smile when she heard paw steps behind her. She didn't particularly _want _anyone to follow her, but company would still be nice regardless.

The ginger tabby settled down in the shadows, turning to see Timberpaw, his green eyes wide with concern. "Firepaw… are you okay? What's up with Dewpaw? ...Is he okay?"

"Oh…" Firepaw frowned, her tail drooping. "Actually, Dewpaw is—"

"The Gathering will now begin!" Firepaw was interrupted by Mistystar's yowl. She immediately shushed and padded out of the shadows a bit. Timberpaw sat down next to her, his gaze steady as he stared at the leader expectantly.

"Things have been well in RiverClan," the blue-gray she-cat meowed, standing out like water in the darkness. "The fish have been out more lately, and the water levels are at their normal rate. Also, Rainpaw, Stonepaw, and Splashpaw have received their warrior names. Please welcome Rainspots, Stonefrost, and Splashcreek!"

"Rainspots! Stonefrost! Splashcreek!" the Clan cats cheered. The three gray RiverClan cats stood up proudly as the other Clans praised their new names. Firepaw bit the inside of her cheek, narrowing her eyes slightly.

_I swear Rainspots was that apprentice who attacked me in the Dark Forest…._

Mistystar dipped her head, signifying that her report was over. Onestar stepped forward, his eyes dimmed in the shadows. He sat down, wrapping his fluffy tail around his paws, and then started his report.

"WindClan's doing fine lately. Rabbits are still as chaseable as ever, especially now that they're distracted by leaf-bare coming up in a few moons," the brown tabby meowed, letting a smile grace his features. "And that's it for us." Onestar dipped his head, moving backward to let another leader speak.

Before Bramblestar could make a move, Rowanstar launched forward, frowning. "I'll be doing the next report," he hissed, throwing a glare at the dark brown tabby. Firepaw's father blinked in confusion, but let Rowanstar go next anyway.

The ginger ShadowClan leader stood on the tips of his paws, making himself appear taller. His green eyes flashed dangerously as he looked down at the Clan cats, the moonlight illuminating his fur.

"_ThunderClan are murderers!_"

**Ooh, the drama! :O Looks like Rowanstar found out about what Snowwhisper did…! I wonder how the ThunderClan cats will slip out of this one….**

**Also, Splashcreek's name is my favorite :D xD**

**Well, here are some QOTD's to pass the time:**

**QOTD #1: Do you think anyone else will ever find out Dewpaw is dead? Because I don't think Bramblestar's going to get to say his report xD**

**QOTD #2: Who do you think that dark brown rogue was?**

**Bonus QOTD: Why do you read this story?**

**Weelll, that's it! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, even though it's pretty short xD And Part One is drawing to a close next chapter! ...If you don't know what I'm talking about, please go check Chapter One :3 I updated it yesterday.**

**You know what they say—read and review!**

**;; Orangeflight of ShadowClan**

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**Extra: The ShadowClan cats in the patrol last chapter, in order of appearance, are as follows: Timberpaw, Snowbird (her pelt color was not described), Pinenose, Owlclaw, and Scorchfur.**


	18. Chapter Seventeen: The Prophecy

**Hello, and welcome to another chapter of Lucky! :3**

**I'm gonna welcome two guests to this chapter: Snowwhisper and Timberpaw! ...But they're only here to help answer Sapphire's review xD**

**...I don't really have much else to say, so let me get straight over to the review replies!**

**Lightningstar-of-NightClan****: Huh, you got one of the QOTD's right! :D ...I'm not saying which one though, sorry xD And Snowwhisper, this next one's for you!**

_**Snowwhisper**_**: Well, I just want to help ;A; Mapleshade told me all about the future, and it doesn't seem nice, so I'll do the best I can to change it.**

_**Timberpaw**_**: And this next one's for me, right? :) Well, Nightpaw's been recovering faster lately, so he's doing fine! :P Hehe, thanks for asking. I'm glad you like him!**

**Leafy: Yeah, I love Foxleap too! :D And the dark brown tom actually doesn't have anything to do with the Dark Forest, I don't think xD He's just some rude rogue… as of now :0 As for Part 2, we'll see…**

**And yes, Snowwhisper wasn't there at all xD That was something Mapleshade told him… and thank you! :D **

**Oh, Timberpaw asks Firepaw to meet with him in this chapter xD You're really perceptive tbh ~ And, about Qatil, yes, he's going to show up again :0**

**WyldClaw****: I recommend reading the rest of the chapters for the Snowpaw question! And for Timberpaw liking Firepaw like that, you'll have to read this chapter :)**

**Well, that's it for the review replies! So, without further ado, here we go! Chapter 17!**

_Chapter Seventeen_

_Firepaw's eyes widened, and _she took an involuntary step back. _Murderers?_

Whispers spread through the clearing, and angry murmurs drifted from ThunderClan and ShadowClan. Firepaw glanced over at Timberpaw, but he was gazing at the ground thoughtfully, not paying attention to anything. She frowned, but before she could meow about anything to him, Bramblestar's hiss brought her back to attention.

"Excuse me?" the dark brown tabby asked, gazing at Rowanstar pointedly.

"You heard right," the dark ginger tom hissed back, his fur bristling. "Your Clan is full of murderers, Bramblestar—and I bet you're the one who told them to kill those cats, too!"

Firepaw's father's eyes narrowed. He opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted by Mistystar stepping forward. "Wait," she meowed, glancing at Bramblestar. Then she slowly turned to Rowanstar, who was glaring at her. "Please explain."

"Gladly," Rowanstar growled, lashing his tail. "Scorchfur woke me up one day to tell me that Tigerheart and Ratscar were dead."

Shocked murmurs spread through the clearing, but the ShadowClan leader silenced them with a single flick of his tail. "There's more," he meowed irritably. "There was ThunderClan scent all over them!"

The ShadowClan cats looked confused for a moment, before scowling and throwing accusing glares at the ThunderClan cats. They just hissed back at them, their pelts bristling. Firepaw flattened her ears, switching her gaze between the two Clans. There was no way someone in her Clan murdered Tigerheart and Ratscar… right?

Bramblestar curled his lip. "Okay, let me humor you Rowanstar. Even if one us did kill them, wouldn't they have to be on our territory? I'm sure you'd notice if we snuck into your camp."

The ginger leader snarled at him. "It was still obvious that ThunderClan killed them. Your scent was all over them! I don't know _how_."

"Is there any evidence?" Mistystar asked, twitching her whiskers.

"Of course," Rowanstar scoffed. "I would've brought their bodies, but that's too far-fetched. So I brought the scraps of fur I found in-between their claws." He looked down at his dark gray deputy, and added, "Scorchfur, show them the evidence."

Scorchfur looked around for a moment, and then spotted what he was looking for. He picked something up between his teeth, and then jumped up to a higher branch where all the leaders and deputies could see. He placed the object down, and Firepaw's eyes widened.

The evidence was a scrap of pure white fur.

She glanced at Timberpaw again, and saw him glaring at something. Firepaw followed his gaze and saw Snowwhisper, his fur ruffled in discomfort. There was something akin to fear in his dark amber gaze, and the ginger tabby she-cat frowned in concern. _What's wrong with him?_

"Whoever has white fur did it," Rowanstar meowed smugly, smirking at Bramblestar. The dark brown tabby retaliated with an amber glare.

"There are quite a few cats who have white fur in ThunderClan, no?" Onestar interfered, his tail twitching in the breeze. "I don't know how you could narrow it down."

"It doesn't matter," the ginger tom meowed. "Then all the white cats in ThunderClan are suspects."

"What?" Firepaw heard Amberheart's angry hiss. "That isn't fair!"

"No cats in my Clan had a motive," Bramblestar growled, his neck fur bristling. "Even if you claim that ThunderClan murdered Tigerheart and Ratscar, that doesn't deem it true."

Rowanstar stepped forward, his claws sliding out dangerously. "You're just hiding the murderer," he snarled.

"What makes you so sure?" Bramblestar hissed, stepping forward as well.

Tension stirred in the air, and the ThunderClan and ShadowClan cats started to bristle, hissing at each other. The other Clans shied away from them, but their fur was sticking up in hostility. Firepaw just watched with wide eyes at the scene unfolding in front of her. This was all wrong—this was supposed to be a time of peace!

Just as Rowanstar looked as if he was about to lunge at Bramblestar, Mistystar stepped in. "Stop! StarClan is angry!"

Sure enough, when Firepaw looked up at the full moon, there were dark clouds covering the moon. She shivered at how ominous they looked.

"This Gathering is over," Mistystar continued, glaring at Bramblestar and Rowanstar. "Bramblestar can say his report at the next Gathering."

Rowanstar's eyes widened in disbelief, but then he grumbled in slight annoyance. With a flick of his tail, he jumped off of the Gathering Tree, the rest of ShadowClan starting to follow. But Timberpaw didn't move, instead turning his gaze to Firepaw.

"Why aren't you going with them?" the ginger tabby she-cat asked, watching as the ShadowClan cats moved swiftly in the background. "You're going to get left behind if you don't go."

"I'd say the same for you," Timberpaw replied. Firepaw blinked, just now realizing that the other Clans were leaving the island as well. But before she could reply, the gray tabby and white tom continued on. "But, I just wanted to ask you something."

"Oh… what is it?" the tabby apprentice asked, looking at him curiously.

"Do you… wanna meet with me tomorrow night?" he asked, suddenly looking embarrassed. He shuffled his white paws, and his whiskers twitched anxiously.

"Meet with you?" Firepaw asked in surprise, her golden eyes wide. _Why does he want to meet with me? ...Does he..._

"I know our Clans aren't really on good terms right now," Timberpaw meowed, still looking flustered. "But… um… I just…"

The ginger tabby stared at him for a moment longer, before smiling at him. She pressed her nose against his before pulling away, blinking fondly at him. "Sure, I'll meet with you," she purred.

Timberpaw's green eyes widened. "W-What? Really?!" His eyes started to sparkle with an excited light. "Wow! Thanks so much Firepaw!"

"Of course," Firepaw meowed happily. "Tomorrow night?"

The gray tabby and white ShadowClan apprentice nodded swiftly, smiling brightly at her. "Yep!" He bounced on his paws for a moment before meowing, "Well, I have to go, but I'll see you tomorrow," he purred. With that, Timberpaw dashed off.

Firepaw felt a warm feeling spread through her as she watched him run back to his Clan. But there was something else, an odd sense of foreboding that just wouldn't go away. The tabby shook it off, masking her thoughts with a smile. _I have to think of the good things—I'm meeting with Timberpaw!_

With that thought, Firepaw padded after her Clanmates, that smile still on her face.

* * *

"What were you so worried about earlier?"

Snowwhisper turned around quickly, his dark amber eyes wide with fear. But he calmed down when he realized it was just Firepaw. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice jumpy.

"At the Gathering," Firepaw meowed, flattening her ears in irritation. "You seemed scared when Rowanstar announced that Tigerheart and Ratscar were dead."

"Can't we talk about this tomorrow?" Snowwhisper asked, nervously avoiding the problem. He stepped towards the warriors den, his tail twitching. "I'm tired."

The ginger tabby she-cat glowered at him, narrowing her eyes. The white warrior twitched under her gaze every so often, and he seemed even more nervous than usual. Firepaw frowned. _Something's going on here… but what is it?_

"R-Right, so… see you tomorrow!" Snowwhisper sped off.

_...Is it just me, or was he in a hurry to avoid any questions?_

Maybe Snowwhisper had something to do with Tigerheart and Ratscar's deaths. But… how? He couldn't possibly have killed them. He's too loyal for that. _...Right?_

Shaking off her thoughts, Firepaw opened her jaws to let out a yawn. _Well, the Gathering does make you tired…. _She padded off towards the apprentices den, settling into the single nest in the whole den.

But just before she drifted off into sleep, she suddenly jolted awake, her golden eyes wide. _Wait a second! Snowwhisper—he's the deputy of the Dark Forest!_

How could she possibly have forgotten? He had to know what happened to Tigerheart and Ratscar! There's no way he's fooling her—Snowwhisper either knows the murderer, or _is _the murderer.

Firepaw swallowed nervously, going with the former. Snowwhisper would never murder anyone.

With those thoughts, the ginger tabby rested her head in her nest again, falling into a soft, dreamy slumber.

* * *

Firepaw opened her eyes, and was startled to see a field in front of her. She looked around, seeing stars dancing on the tips of the grass. She had to admit it was pretty… but where was she?

"StarClan, again," a voice behind her meowed, and she whipped around. Firepaw's eyes widened at who it was, and her tail twitched happily.

"Dewpaw!" she exclaimed, pressing her nose against his.

The dark gray apprentice purred happily, blinking at her fondly. "Hi, Firepaw," he responded.

The ginger tabby pulled back, her eyes filled with wonder. "What am I doing here?" she asked. She took a quick glance at her pelt. "I'm not dead, am I?"

Dewpaw looked like he had choked on a laugh, before giving her a small smile. "No, of course not," he meowed. "This is a dream. You've been here before, y'know."

"I know," Firepaw responded, puffing in slight annoyance. "I just thought something would be different this time." She paused for a moment, staring at the stars dancing in Dewpaw's dark gray pelt before she added, "Well, what is it?"

"Oh, right." Dewpaw looked around the field for a moment. "Nightpaw was here… he said he had to tell you something, but he seems to have run off." Firepaw blinked in confusion, but before she could say anything, the dark gray StarClan cat continued. "But I had to tell you something too, and I couldn't have Nightpaw around, so it was sort of a win-win."

"...Okay," the ginger tabby meowed carefully, looking at him quizzically. "So what do you want to tell me?"

Dewpaw stood still for a moment, before taking a deep breath. The stars in his fur seemed to brighten, and he twitched his whiskers. "The fire will blaze through the Clans, leaving a trail of secrets behind. The darkness will rise, and only the light of the crackling fire can stop it."

Firepaw froze, her golden eyes wide.

"Don't you see, Firepaw? The fire in the prophecy—that's _you_!"

"M-Me?" the ginger tabby stuttered, taking a step back. "In… a prophecy?"

Dewpaw stepped forward. "Yes, you! Firepaw, you're destined to save the Clans."

"How could I possibly save _anything_?" Firepaw cried, startling the dark gray tom. "Tell me Dewpaw, how could I? I couldn't even save you!"

"My death… wasn't your fault," Dewpaw meowed quietly. "Oh, Firepaw… did you think it was? It was my fault, and mine alone."

"But I feel like it was," the ginger tabby murmured, her eyes stinging.

"Don't," the dark gray tom breathed, pressing his nose against her's. "Don't ever. It wasn't your fault, and it never will be."

Firepaw sighed, pulling away from Dewpaw and looking down at her paws. She was still upset about that day. There's no way she could forget something like that….

"But Firepaw, there's a difference between my death and saving the Clans," Dewpaw meowed softly. "My death wasn't destiny. Saving the Clans _is _destiny. And only you can do it."

The ginger tabby's breath caught in her throat, and she could only stare at her dark gray friend. _Is… is it true? Can I really save the Clans? _

She took a deep breath, and then meowed something that would seal her fate. "...Okay Dewpaw. I believe you…. I'll save the Clans."

The dark gray tom's eyes sparkled, but before he could voice his gratitude, a voice interrupted him.

"Firepaw! There you are!"

The two cats turned around to see Nightpaw running towards them, still carrying those herbs. Except this time, they were tucked under his chin. The black and white medicine cat apprentice skidded to a halt, hastily dropping the herbs and flashing Firepaw his best smile.

"Hi Nightpaw," the tabby she-cat meowed, her expression curious. "Dewpaw said you had to tell me something… what is it?"

"Oh!" Nightpaw's dark green eyes sparkled. "I heard about you and Timberpaw meeting tomorrow. I just wanted to tell you congratulations!"

Firepaw flattened her ears in embarrassment, while Dewpaw looked at her curiously. "Yeah… thank you," she purred softly.

"No problem," Nightpaw chirped, blinking at her. "Now, you'd better be careful with my brother, okay? And make sure Thrushpaw doesn't ever find out, she'd throw a fit." He snickered. "She's so attached to the warrior code."

"I thought Firepaw was, too," Dewpaw muttered under his breath, making the ginger tabby flinch slightly.

Nightpaw didn't seem to hear. "Well, goodbye and good luck!" The black and white tom picked up the herbs—in his mouth this time, Firepaw noted—and then sped off.

"...What does he carry around herbs for, anyway?" Dewpaw asked, watching him leave. "It's not as if he can bring them back to ShadowClan when he wakes up."

Firepaw shrugged, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. She glanced at the dark gray tom and saw his eyes narrow slightly. The tabby she-cat looked away, shuffling her paws on the starry grass.

"I should probably get going," she meowed softly. "It's about sun-high now, right?"

Dewpaw frowned slightly. "Actually, it's dawn," he corrected. "But I could send you back to another dream."

"Yeah," Firepaw mumbled. She paused for a moment, before adding, "Dewpaw, I promise I'll save the Clans."

That got the dark gray tom's attention. He smiled brightly at her, and then purred, "Thank you. Now, I'll see you later."

With that, the image in front of Firepaw grew distorted, and then it all faded away into darkness.

* * *

**End of Part One**

* * *

… **This is one of the shorter chapters, but it has enough information for people to talk about, I suppose xD The next chapter is where things start building up… well, Part Two :0**

**I still don't have anything to say xD So, that's the end of Part One, and the end of chapter 17! I hope you liked it!**

**;; Orangeflight of ShadowClan**


	19. Chapter Eighteen: A Dark Start

**Hello, and welcome to Part Two of Lucky c: I hope you're prepared, stuff is going to happen pretty fast.**

**In this part, there's going to be an italics section somewhere within the chapter. It might be in the beginning, it might be in the middle, or it might be in the end. Today's chapter has it in the beginning! What's happening there, is out of context things that don't mention any characters, but tie in with the plot.**

**This one is also pretty obvious. But then again, I make everything obvious…. Aaaa, let me just move on to the review replies xD**

**badguthrie: Thanks! Here's your update c:**

**Lightningstar-of-NightClan: Yeah, the parts are actually an idea I got from my friend. xD And, yes, you got a QOTD right c: ...However, I'm not entitled to tell you what it was. Sorry, hehe**

_**Nightpaw: **_**Oh, hello Sapphire :0 Yes, I'm here to tell you about the carrying herbs thing. Y'see, I have this… obsession with carrying herbs. When I wake up, you'll see me doing it a lot too. And that's all~ Thank you for asking. ;)**

**Huh, I won't talk about the Timberpaw one, but yeah, you have to love Dewpaw c:**

**Yeah, a lot did happen… oh well, I'm glad you liked it! :D**

**spirithealerstar1122: This is an after The Last Hope story. I made it before Bramblestar's Storm came out xD Of course, I know that those cats are dead now, but before, it was impossible to tell.**

**Leafy: Aaaa yeah, Timber/Fire is the true OTP c: /shot**

**But yes, I also do worry about Snowwhisper, even though he's my character… D: Gotta say, I don't know what'll happen with him.**

**Yeah, Dewpaw coming to tell Firepaw the prophecy is actually my favorite part of the last chapter :D I love him. **

**And yeah, Nightpaw's a pretty cool guy. xD He's just pretty nonchalant about everything.**

**Yeah, burning timber! :0 And Fire/Snow can be like melting snow or something… haha**

**Anyways, glad you liked last chapter, I hope you love this one too!**

**Lunastar of InfinityClan: Thank you c: And I wouldn't really think of it as a love triangle… but, think whatever you'd like! About Timber/Fire, we'll see. ;)**

**Okay, that's the end of those! So, here we go, Part Two and chapter eighteen!**

* * *

**Part Two: A Murderer in the Shadows**

* * *

_Chapter Eighteen_

"_I summoned those clouds over the moon."_

"_What?!" The cat stepped back in disbelief, their eyes wide with alarm. "Why would you_—_why would you do that?"_

"_Those StarClan cats are tenacious all right—they couldn't bare to let you slip through their claws," the other cat hissed. "So they stuck right to the warrior code. They were going to let you get banished!"_

_The cat hesitated, before meowing, "N-no…. There are StarClan cats who have faith in me! Like—"_

"_Oh, please," the other cat snarled. "Your precious ancestors have abandoned you. Now, you're officially on our side, the side of the Dark Forest."_

_The cat took a step back, their expression one of absolute horror._

.

..

…

Sunlight peeked through the branches of the apprentices den, hitting Firepaw's pelt. The ginger tabby muttered in annoyance, rolling over so that the sun beam was hitting her back instead of her face. After a few moments, she sighed in content, ready to go back to sleep, when suddenly a paw prodded her side.

"Firepaw… Firepaw!" a voice hissed.

The ginger tabby groaned in annoyance, rolling over again. But then suddenly, a paw poked her side repeatedly. Scowling, Firepaw opened her eyes, looking up at her offender.

"What do you want, Toadstep?" she muttered, lashing her tail in irritation. "Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?"

The black and white tom growled at her, narrowing his eyes. "Foxleap is looking for you," he hissed. "So you'd better get off your lazy tail and get training."

"Alright, alright, I'm moving," Firepaw hissed, stretching her limbs. The black and white warrior seemed unconvinced, but he left the apprentices den anyway with a lash of his tail.

_Thank StarClan that he's gone_, the ginger tabby she-cat thought, narrowing her eyes. Toadstep may be Blossomfall's mate, and a soon-to-be father, but outside of the relationship, he was irritating and rude. Sometimes Firepaw thought he didn't deserve someone like Blossomfall—even if she had tried to drown her before.

With that, the ginger tabby she-cat finally made her way outside the apprentice's den. She looked around, the sunlight blinding her vision for a moment. Blinking, Firepaw finally spotted Foxleap sitting patiently by the exit of camp.

_If Foxleap is so patient, then why was Toadstep so annoyed? _she thought in slight irritation.

The ginger tom looked up, spotting Firepaw in an instant. "Oh! Hey, Firepaw, we're going training soon, so you should eat something."

"Okay," the ginger tabby meowed, startled by his personality. She had never actually talked to Foxleap before—she had assumed he was just like Blossomfall. Firepaw turned and headed towards the fresh-kill pile, and then picked out a nice-sized sparrow.

Just as she lowered her head to eat it, she was suddenly reminded of something. Firepaw looked around, but couldn't spot Snowwhisper's white pelt anywhere. She sighed in annoyance. _Maybe he's on a patrol..._

"Hey Firepaw," a voice meowed quietly. Firepaw looked up to see Seedcloud, her green eyes lit up in the sunlight.

"Hi Seedcloud," the ginger tabby meowed carefully, glancing at her a bit nervously. Even though Dewpaw's death had been a few moons ago, the ginger warrior was still grieving. Even Cloudtail and Brightheart had tried to move on already, but Seedcloud seemed to be just too sad.

"Is it okay if I sit with you?" Seedcloud asked, her expression suddenly turning wary.

"Uh, sure," Firepaw meowed, staring at her curiously. The ginger warrior immediately sat down beside her, her green eyes suddenly dark.

She started talking immediately, too. "Firepaw... I don't know what's wrong with me," she murmured. "I didn't like Dewpaw, I know I didn't. So then now... why do I miss him so much? Why do I want to love him so much?"

"I..." The ginger tabby apprentice fumbled for words. Firepaw most certainly wasn't an expert with love.

But Seedcloud was patient. She stared at her, her gaze unblinking, just waiting for her to say something.

"I-I... think you should ask someone who's experienced love before," the tabby finally meowed, her ears flat on her head. For a moment, a familiar silver tabby and white cat flashed through her mind before she shook her head. "Maybe try Dustpelt or Sandstorm."

"Okay." Seedcloud looked dejected for a moment before gazing back at Firepaw. There was something troubling in her green gaze, and her claws were digging into the ground.

The ginger tabby apprentice blinked. "Is... there something else?"

"Actually," Seedcloud frowned, "yeah. I tried to talk to Snowwhisper earlier, but... he seemed distracted. He was scared too, and acted like a frightened mouse at every little noise. Do you know what's up with him?"

"I wouldn't know, sorry," Firepaw meowed apologetically. "He was acting like that after the Gathering... I tried to ask him what was wrong, but he wouldn't tell me."

Seedcloud got to her paws, her expression still upset. "Oh... well, I'm going to leave you alone now. I'm assuming you have training to do, right?"

"You don't have to—"

But the ginger she-cat had already disappeared inside the warriors den.

"—leave…." Firepaw trailed off, her golden eyes downcast. _Oh, Seedcloud... whatever's happening with you, and with Snowwhisper, I hope it all turns out okay in the end..._

* * *

"Ready to go?" Foxleap asked, his eyes shining in pride. Firepaw and her new mentor had trained until the sun had started to dip behind the hills. The sky glowed a pinkish orange color, giving the clouds a wonderful pastel look.

Firepaw dipped her head, smiling tiredly at Foxleap. She couldn't wait to eventually show Blossomfall all the moves she had learned from him. But then again, she probably already knew them...

Foxleap gave her a small grin back, and then started padding off towards camp, flicking his tail for her to follow.

When they returned back to camp, Firepaw was immediately confused by the lack of noise. She looked around, and saw Bramblestar and Squirrelflight with their heads together, whispering quietly. There were only a few cats there, which was odd.

_Where is everyone?_

Bramblestar suddenly looked up, spotting Firepaw and Foxleap. "Oh, there you two are!" he exclaimed in relief, running up to them. Squirrelflight appeared by his side a moment later. "Are you okay?"

"What's the problem?" Foxleap asked, his eyes wide in confusion. "Where is everyone?"

Bramblestar hesitated, so Squirrelflight responded instead. "We sent Brackenfur, Molewhisker, and Snowwhisper on patrol this morning. But..."

"But?" Firepaw asked, her eyes huge.

"...They haven't returned," her mother finished, her green eyes darkening. "I sent a few search patrols—that's why no one's here—and they didn't find them at all. It's as if they've disappeared out of thin air."

"D-Disappeared?" the ginger tabby repeated, a chill running down her spine.

"We tried to follow their scent trail, but it vanished near the Twolegplace," Bramblestar meowed, his amber gaze downcast. "Amberheart and Cherryfeather were devastated... they went to look first, but now they're in the warriors den..."

Firepaw and Foxleap shared a glance, and then the tabby she-cat smiled slightly. "...Foxleap can go cheer up Amberheart and Cherryfeather. I'm... going to look for Snowwhisper and the others."

"It isn't wise to go alone," Squirrelflight meowed, her expression wary. "And besides, you must be tired after all that training. You need to rest."

"No, Squirrelflight, I..." Firepaw paused. _Wait a minute... she's right. I'm supposed to be meeting Timberpaw tonight, so I can't be tired. But...! _"Please," the ginger tabby meowed. I can't just sit here while they're missing! I can just bring a warrior with me!"

Her dark ginger mother sighed, blinking at Firepaw. Finally, Squirrelflight meowed, "Okay Firepaw, you may go. Bring Toadstep with you."

_Toadstep? _The ginger tabby she-cat snorted disdainfully, but didn't say anything. Firepaw flashed her mother her greatest smile and then dashed off to find that annoying black and white warrior.

Toadstep was talking to Cloudtail and Brightheart quietly, his expression worried. The ginger tabby frowned, remembering they were Snowwhisper's parents. Why weren't they searching for him?

"Excuse me," Firepaw meowed politely, "but can I talk to Toadstep please?"

"Sure," Cloudtail meowed softly, stepping back. Brightheart followed suit, dipping her head respectfully before the two walked off towards the warriors den.

"What do you want?" Toadstep snapped, his amber eyes dark.

"Squirrelflight said she wanted you to come with me," the ginger tabby hissed back. "To look for Brackenfur, Molewhisker, and Snowwhisper. You don't have to be so ridiculous about it."

"Oh… well if Squirrelflight ordered it." He still sounded annoyed, but he toned it down a bit. "We should probably bring a bit more warriors, though. Hmm…." Toadstep looked around the almost empty clearing for a moment. "We could bring Berrynose and Ivypool," he meowed, pointing out the two warriors with his tail.

"I guess so," Firepaw agreed, not really minding. Anything to get away from having to go with Toadstep alone.

The black and white warrior nodded, padding off to the other two cats. After talking to them for a moment, they padded back over to Firepaw. "Ready to go," Berrynose meowed, his expression worried. The ginger tabby had to remember for a moment that Molewhisker was Berrynose's son.

Firepaw nodded, and the group of four headed out into the forest, the setting sun painting their fur a beautiful orange.

* * *

"Guys! Come look at this!"

Firepaw looked up from examining a patch of grass and saw Ivypool standing near a bush. She bounded over, her golden gaze curious.

Once everyone had gathered around her, Ivypool dug through the leaves of the bush. Firepaw's eyes widened when the silver tabby warrior pulled her paw out of the bush. Creamy brown fur was stuck in between her claws.

"That looks like Molewhisker's..." Berrynose whispered, his amber eyes wide in horror. "Why was he here...?"

Suddenly, there was a yowl in the distance. The four cats jumped in surprise. Firepaw felt an air of unease settle upon her, and she frowned.

"...Let's go check it out," Toadstep meowed, padding off towards the sound. He flicked his tail for the three cats to follow him.

As the four cats bounded through the forest, Firepaw felt her unease increase with every paw step. Whatever was happening, it couldn't have been good.

When the cats arrived at the scene, Firepaw opened her eyes in horror. The dark brown rogue from earlier was back, and he was attacking her Clanmates. She spotted Lionblaze, Poppyfrost, and Leafpool trying to defend, but they were ultimately being beaten.

_But how can that be? He's only one cat!_

But Firepaw shook her head, letting out a low hiss. If this rogue had come back, _again_, and was attacking, they had to fight back. With a yowl, she sprang out of the bushes, landing squarely on the tom's back.

The dark brown rogue snarled in surprise, turning his head. Firepaw dug her claws into his shoulders, narrowing her eyes as he hissed in pain.

For a moment, she thought he couldn't possibly win if he didn't get her off, but suddenly the rogue jumped backwards. Firepaw gasped as she hit the ground forcefully, which successfully knocked the air out of her.

Suddenly the rogue was above her, his amber eyes narrowed. "You came back, pretty kitty?" he snarled. "I thought you'd run off with your _warrior _buddies."

Firepaw hissed back at him, her tail lashing furiously.

"Wait, you know him, Firepaw?" she heard Lionblaze ask.

"This isn't the time for that!" Toadstep hissed. "We have to help her!"

That was when the warriors finally jumped into action. The dark brown rogue was knocked over by Ivypool and Poppyfrost, who meowed in surprise. They fought faithfully, the rogue fighting back as best as he could.

But it was in vain.

Firepaw found herself staring at the dark brown rogue, his pelt stained with blood once again. "...You lost," the tabby she-cat meowed. "Again."

The rogue narrowed his eyes, sweeping his amber gaze over the cats in front of him. "...You may have won this time, but next time won't be so easy." He turned to walk away, but then stopped. "...My name is Qatil," he growled, his tail bristling. "Don't forget it."

And with that, Qatil disappeared into the bushes.

* * *

"So, his name's Qatil..." Bramblestar murmured, looking at the seven cats in front of him. They had returned from looking for Brackenfur, Molewhisker, and Snowwhisper and were now telling him what had happened.

Firepaw blinked tiredly, the moonlight making her pelt shine silver. "Yeah... he's attacked me and Blossomfall before," she meowed quietly. "I didn't think he'd come back."

"Well, now we just have another enemy to deal with," Squirrelflight meowed, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "And he's just one cat. He can't really do anything by himself, can he?"

"Tigerstar was just one cat too," Bramblestar said grimly, his fur bristling. "He gathered a group to help him, and even though he was defeated by Scourge, he became stronger by association."

Firepaw felt a shiver run through her. She remembered Tigerstar from stories she had heard. She couldn't believe she was related to such a monster.

"But this Qatil character doesn't seem smart," Lionblaze meowed, his tail lashing. "If he was looking to stir up trouble, surely he should've waited a bit longer?"

"No, he was very smart," Leafpool meowed suddenly, startling Firepaw. She had forgotten the brown tabby she-cat was even there. "Of course. Didn't you notice, Bramblestar? He didn't just attack randomly—he attacked when Brackenfur, Molewhisker, and Snowwhisper went missing. That can't just be a coincidence."

Firepaw's blood turned icy. "...What are you saying?" she asked, her gaze wide with horror.

"Do you think maybe Qatil has something to do with their disappearance?"

The cats in the circle immediately started in surprise, their eyes wide with realization. Firepaw shivered, suddenly feeling feverish. _There's no way... no way that that happened. I..._

Bramblestar looked shocked, and meowed, "...Wow, Leafpool. I never even thought of that."

"Neither did I," Lionblaze added, his tail twitching nervously. "You don't think Qatil... did something to them, do you?"

"It's very possible." Squirrelflight frowned slightly, her gaze sweeping over the group before they landed on Firepaw. "...Firepaw, you should get some sleep. You do know the moon is high, right?"

For a moment, the ginger tabby she-cat paused. Then, she was filled with a sense of horror. _Oh no! Timberpaw!_

"Yeah, I'll get some sleep," she meowed hurriedly, racing over to the apprentices den. _I can't believe it! I can't believe I forgot!_

Firepaw settled on her nest, gazing outside of the den nervously. It took a moment for the last of the warriors, and the circle group, to go to their dens. The tabby she-cat shakily got to her paws, drowsiness weighing her down. She padded out of the apprentices den and headed towards the dirt-place.

Firepaw squeezed inside, wrinkling her nose at the awful smell. She hoped she never had to pull a stunt like this again.

She breathed in relief when she emerged on the other side of the tunnel. Crickets chirped in the distance and a cool breeze swept through the forest, chilling Firepaw's fur. For a moment, she just stood there, admiring the night sounds, but then she shook her head, remembering what she was doing.

_Breaking the warrior code is what I'm doing, _Firepaw thought quietly, her tail quivering.

She padded towards the ShadowClan border, suddenly feeling the sense of foreboding again. But she shook it off, narrowing her eyes.

It only seemed like a moment had passed when Firepaw arrived at the ShadowClan border, the breeze brushing through her fur. This was it. The moment that would change the future of her life forever.

Opening her jaws, Firepaw meowed, "Timberpaw?"

**Well, that's it for this chapter! Hehe, you'll have to wait for the next one for the fateful Timber/Fire meeting c:**

**But, wow… Brackenfur, Molewhisker, and Snowwhisper are missing… ;-; And Qatil came back. I clearly didn't waste time starting Part Two off pretty strong. (And the next chapter… holy StarClan, **_**the next chapter**_**.)**

**That's all I'm going to say! I hope you enjoyed this chapter guys :3 It's one of the longer ones hehe ~ **

**See you next time!**

**;; Orangeflight of ShadowClan**


	20. Chapter Nineteen: The Dare

**Hello, and welcome to the next chapter of Part Two c: I was going to upload it yesterday, when the sp00ky vibes were at their strongest, but oh well. I can deal with the day after Halloween. :)**

**This chapter introduces **_**another **_**new form of section—an italics part that has characters by name. If you see this happen along with the italics part with no character names mentioned, salsa's about to get real. ;)**

**Well, I have nothing else to add, so let's get to the review replies! **

**Lightningstar-of-NightClan:** **Oh, they were. :) And yeah, I won't reveal where those three went just yet c: I have to wait for the perfect moment, hehe…**

**Thanks! And Timberpaw isn't particularly evil, just really mean, as shown in this chapter. xD So that crazy idea can be thrown out the window…. Although, that does make for a nice AU idea. ;)**

**WyldClaw:** **We'll see!**

**Leafy:** **Hehe, I won't quite reveal where those three went and why yet. c: I'm hoping to build up some sort of suspense…. But I have no idea how. I hope I'll find out soon. xD**

**Yeah, I also feel bad for poor Seedcloud. :( About her finding a mate, we'll see. Anyways, thank you so much! -heart- I hope you like this chapter. c:**

**Lunastar of InfinityClan:** **Thank you! And Qatil/Firepaw? ...I won't judge, but they have a bit of an age gap. Not to mention Qatil is positively evil. xD Here's the meeting of Timberpaw and Firepaw! ...Although, the ship sank faster than the Titanic.**

**Well, that's it for the review replies! So without further ado, here it is! Chapter nineteen~!**

_Chapter Nineteen_

"_Ready?" Timberpaw turned towards the source of the noise, seeing Nightpaw staring at him expectantly. Herbs lay at his paws, as usual, and his dark green eyes sparkled in the darkness._

"_Of course," the silver tabby and white tom scoffed, twitching his whiskers. He glanced around the apprentices den for a moment until he spotted Thrushpaw, watching them with narrowed blue eyes._

"_You aren't doing the right thing," his sister meowed once his green gaze landed on her. The gray tabby and white-blotched she-cat slinked over, her tail twitching. "Did you once think about your future? You could get exiled for something like this!"_

"_Oh please," Timberpaw hissed back, his fur bristling slightly. "We've all listened to the forbidden love stories_—_are you forgetting Leafpool and Crowfeather?"_

_Thrushpaw frowned in disappointment. "This isn't about what you'll say to Firepaw," she murmured, although her tone of voice implied that that was exactly what she meant. "I mean, what if someone finds out that_—"

"No one _will find out," the gray tabby and white tom assured her, brushing his tail along her side for a moment. "It's our secret." Suddenly, he let out a snicker. "And Firepaw's, of course."_

_Nightpaw laughed along with him, filling the apprentices den with a chilled feeling. Thrushpaw backed away from them, her claws sliding out slightly. "Go, then," she snapped. "Go do whatever crazy scheme you're doing. And when you realize what you've done, then you'll never be forgiven."_

_Timberpaw just flicked his tail dismissively, walking out of the den with his head held high. _

.

..

...

A gray tabby head poked out of the bushes almost immediately. Firepaw's eyes brightened as Timberpaw walked into the clearing, shaking red and orange leaves from his pelt. "Hi!" the ginger tabby purred.

The gray and white tabby tom looked at her excitedly, his green eyes sparkling in the light of the moon. "You came!" he exclaimed.

"Of course," Firepaw meowed, her tail-tip twitching happily. "Why wouldn't I?"

Timberpaw blinked, giving her a (_very charming_, Firepaw thought absentmindedly) smile. "Well, I suppose you have nothing else to do. Your life as leader's daughter doesn't sound that interesting," the gray and white tabby meowed teasingly.

Firepaw shoved his shoulder playfully, and the tabby tom burst into a fit of laughter. The ginger tabby puffed, but she had to smile slightly at Timberpaw's comment.

After the moment passed, Firepaw suddenly found herself confused. _Wait... There has to be a reason Timberpaw asked me to come here, right? _The ThunderClan apprentice opened her mouth to ask, but the words died in her throat once she met the gray tabby's dazzling green gaze.

"I have to show you something!" Timberpaw meowed excitedly, bouncing on his paws. The tabby tom started to walk off, his tail twitching excitedly for Firepaw to follow.

_Oh, well that answers that question, _Firepaw thought, marveling at the timing. She shook her pelt and then padded after him, wondering what he would show her.

The ginger tabby apprentice spotted Timberpaw sitting in another clearing. Fireflies danced around him, and flowers lit up in the glow. Firepaw stared, her eyes wide in amazement, but then shook her head quickly. She padded closer to him, and then realized he was sitting in front of a tree.

"This is a special tree," Timberpaw meowed, not moving his gaze. He stared at the tree for a moment longer before turning to Firepaw, an excited look in his eyes. "A very special tree."

The ginger tabby apprentice looked up at the tree curiously. The gray bark had been burnt off, and scorch marks decorated the bare tree. Firepaw gazed at the sharp, and probably prickly branches, which looked as if they could snap in the slightest breeze. Overall, she didn't see anything particularly significant about it.

"It doesn't look special," the ginger tabby meowed.

If anything, Firepaw's confusion only made Timberpaw _more _excited. "Legend says that last leaf-bare, before we were born, there was a powerful storm," the gray tabby and white tom exclaimed. "And in that storm, lightning struck this tree!"

"That sounds cool, but how does that make this tree special?" Firepaw asked, gazing at the scorched tree once again. She nearly shivered when a breeze swept through the weak, sharp branches.

"This tree burst into fire... The gray bark, the timber, was burnt off... and now this tree stands before us. Firepaw, don't you see?"

The tabby she-cat stared at him, her paws quivering slightly.

"This is _our _tree!" Timberpaw finished, his eyes glittering in the moonlight. "The fire burnt off the timber... It's almost like a prophecy, just for us!"

_But this can't be a prophecy! _Firepaw thought in slight panic, staring at the blackened tree in front of her. _It can't be! I'm already in one!_

"Isn't that cool?" The gray and white tabby tom leaned forward, a smile gracing his features. "It's almost as if we're being told we're destined to be together."

"I-I... guess so," Firepaw managed to stammer out, still not taking all of this in. _This isn't a prophecy... It can't be..._

Timberpaw stepped forward, pressing his nose against her's. Firepaw flinched, but she didn't pull away, instead staring deeply into his emerald eyes. The moonlight made specks of silver appear in them, and they glittered beautifully. Her breath caught in her throat.

"Firepaw, I have something to tell you," the gray tabby and white tom whispered.

The ginger tabby apprentice breathed in his scent, recognizing it as a sort of pine-like smell. "Yes?" she murmured, trying to keep from stuttering.

"I..." Suddenly, Timberpaw pulled back. His bright emerald eyes were dark, and his tail lashed behind him. He showed his teeth and growled, "...don't like you, at all."

Firepaw stared at him, her eyes wide. _...What?_

The gray and white tabby tom stared at her, an annoyed look crossing his face. "I don't like you," he repeated, narrowing his eyes.

"What? But—"

Suddenly, there was a rustling above their heads. Firepaw looked up and saw an owl with its claws extended, staring at her quietly. The ginger tabby she-cat blinked at it, feeling a sudden chill.

Timberpaw smirked, flashing his teeth in the moonlight. "I've always disliked you—ThunderClan, I mean. I _know _Snowwhisper murdered Tigerheart and Ratscar. Your dumb kittypet friends can't hide it forever," the tabby tom hissed.

Firepaw recoiled, her golden eyes as wide as moons. "_Snowwhisper_? He didn't murder anyone! I'm sure he knows who did, but—"

"Did you see the evidence Scorchfur brought up?" Timberpaw interrupted, narrowing his eyes. "Did you see the way Snowwhisper reacted? How is it not obvious?"

Firepaw fell silent for a moment. He was right…. Snowwhisper had acted rather oddly after that was mentioned at the Gathering. _And he dodged so many of my questions, too…. Maybe he…._

"Even you see," the gray and white tabby meowed, narrowing his eyes. "He's a murderer, Firepaw. You should tell Bramblestar—he deserves to be exiled."

In that second, the tabby apprentice furiously shook away her misgivings about Snowwhisper. "He didn't murder anyone!" she hissed. "He's the most loyal warrior I know! If someone deserves to be exiled, it should be _you_!"

Timberpaw flashed his teeth, snarling. "This whole entire thing was just a dare," he growled. "I didn't want to come here. But no, Nightpaw asked me to do this whole facade. If anything, you should be exiled for coming here."

"You _fox-hearted_—" Suddenly Firepaw faltered, the weight of Timberpaw's words finally reaching her. A sinking feeling settled in the pit of her belly, and she stared into the tabby tom's eyes, hoping to find a trace of his usual joking attitude. But when there was none, she took a step back, her eyes widening. "You… you're serious…?"

"Of course, you thought I was joking?" Timberpaw scoffed.

"But… but Nightpaw said—"

"Nightpaw was just playing along," the gray tabby interrupted, lashing his tail in annoyance. "I didn't _really _want to see you. It was all part of a dare, like I said before. He wanted to see if I could get a she-cat from a different Clan to fall in love with me—and it worked, didn't it?"

Firepaw stared at him, taking another horrified step back. Suddenly, a loud screeching filled the air, and she jumped. The owl from before was glaring down at her, its round yellow eyes glistening in the moonlight. It shook its feathers, extending its claws menacingly.

Timberpaw smirked, his evergreen eyes glowing. "I can't believe you were so gullible, Firepaw. I thought you had potential, but I guess not." He looked genuinely disappointed for a moment before he continued. "Unfortunately for you, you've fallen into my trap."

"Your trap? What are you—"

Suddenly, the owl screeched again, and then jumped off of its perch. Firepaw's eyes widened in horror, realizing that the owl was heading straight for her, talons outstretched.

She took off at a run, watching as the pine trees became a blur around her and slowly turned into oak trees. But the owl was still right behind her, screeching and throwing its talons closer. They slashed her shoulders, and Firepaw let out a hiss of pain, gritting her teeth. She forced herself to run faster, trying her best to get back to camp.

Suddenly, the owl screeched in triumph. Firepaw let out a gasp, a sharp pain exploding in her back. She stumbled, falling to the ground.

The owl was ruthless, not even holding back as it dug its sharp claws into her back. It ignored Firepaw's screeches of pain, and so did Timberpaw, wherever he was. . . .

But in a flash, the pain disappeared. The owl's angry screeches dimmed in the background, and a soft, cold wind replaced it, stirring up leaves in its wake. Slowly, the hush of the forest was the only thing she could hear.

With the last of her strength, Firepaw lifted her head. She opened her mouth in surprise, seeing the owl hunched over in a pool of its own blood, twitching erratically. Standing above it, carefully licking blood off of his paw, was a black and white cat. After a moment, she realized he was the same black and white loner from before. _What is he doing here?_

The loner looked down at her, his stormy blue eyes narrowed. "That owl was pesky, all right," he scoffed, his personality seeming vastly different than before. "You shouldn't have ran from it. They get angrier when you run."

"I… didn't know…." Firepaw whispered softly, pain pulsing through her. "I-I…"

"Oh, don't talk!" the black and white loner exclaimed, rushing over. He settled down next to her, staring deep into her golden eyes. "I don't want you to lose your energy."

Firepaw blinked, looking away. She glanced at her legs, feeling numb as she saw blood drip onto the ground. She couldn't believe Timberpaw had tricked her like that...! She tried to hold back letting out a meow of sadness.

She felt the black and white tom's gaze on her, but she ignored it until he meowed, "...I remember you. Your name's Firepaw, isn't it?"

She turned in confusion, meeting the loner's eyes again.

"Yeah, it has to be! Your… your mentor, Blossomfall? I'm the one who stopped her from drowning you!" The black and white loner's eyes brightened. "I'm glad to see you in one piece! I mean…" He paused, looking at her back. "I guess."

Firepaw would have commented something about the last line if she hadn't been stunned into silence. Well, it wasn't as if she had been talking anyway. _He's the one who saved me from drowning? ...It finally makes sense! I knew there was no way it was _Blossomfall _who rescued me._

The black and white loner stared at her for a moment longer before he suddenly gasped. "Oh! I forgot to introduce myself!" He straightened himself up, ruffling his fur to make himself seem imposing. "My name's Hurricane, brother of D—" Suddenly he stopped, his posture losing its regal look. "I-I mean… my name's Hurricane," he meowed quickly.

_Hurricane? _Firepaw looked at the loner, and noted his stormy blue eyes. _It fits._

Hurricane sighed, settling back down again. "But I guess I should be focusing on healing your wounds, right? ...You wouldn't happen to have a fancy-named cat who's good with medicine, would you?"

_Fancy-named cat? _Firepaw inwardly snorted, but she nodded in confirmation on the outside. _Jayfeather and Lilypool know how to heal better than Hurricane ever could._

But thinking about the medicine cats made her back start to pulse in pain again, and she suddenly became more self-aware of the amount of blood she was losing. Dizziness swept over her like a wave.

Hurricane blinked cheerfully. "Great! So, I can go get them and bring them back here. No offense, but you'd probably slow me down if you came with me. And I doubt another owl will attack."

Firepaw blinked at him, her vision swirling in colors. The grass blurred with the dark night sky, and all she could see was red. . . .

The black and white loner's eyes glinted in worry, and he spoke more quickly. "I know where your camp is, and…! Oh, whatever, Firepaw, stay awake please!" With that, Hurricane sprinted off.

Firepaw tried to do as told, but the red swimming in her vision wouldn't go away. She felt a cold trickle of blood run down her back, and it started pooling around her paws, drowning her in a sea of red.

Suddenly a calmness rushed over her, and her golden eyes closed peacefully.

The forest fell silent.

…

"_This is it, isn't it?" A ginger tabby she-cat leaned forward, a mad glint in her green eyes. "It's finally over!"_

"_No," a tom sitting beside her meowed. "The cat spoke of in the prophecy isn't dead, not yet."_

"_What?" The she-cat whipped her head to look at him furiously, her claws sliding out dangerously. "What do you mean she isn't dead?!"_

"_StarClan will do anything to make that prophecy a reality," the tom replied. "And that means keeping the fire alive."_

_The ginger tabby snarled, baring her teeth. "And what are _you _doing?" she hissed. "I told you to get started, didn't I? You didn't take advantage of the moment you had!"_

"_Patience," the tom hissed. "Absolute patience. By the night of the claw moon, I will have started. But I cannot kill the prophecy cat, as I've told you. Only those few cats I have killed."_

_The tabby she-cat chortled, flashing her fangs to reveal blood-stained teeth. "Those few cats weren't needed. My trump card is still hiding, waiting to strike. You know…."_

"_Oh, yes." The tom's eyes glinted. "I almost forgot about him."_

_The ginger tabby she-cat rose to her full height, a maniacal laugh slipping past her lips. The lake in front of them froze over, distorting the image beneath._

"_Firepaw will live, but when she least expects it, my trump card will come! My trump card will _kill her_!"_

**-shivers- ...Ooh, maybe the last part was too dark for me. I don't know, but I'll keep it… I can't keep my writing flowery forever.**

**Anyway, that's the end of this chapter! Timberpaw's motives are now known and Hurricane has made a reappearance! :0 ...Although, you do have to worry about Hurricane's brother, even though he's never mentioned as his brother.**

**I personally still kind of like Timberpaw. ;v; How about you guys?**

**Oh well. To the QOTD's!**

**QOTD #1: Why do you think Nightpaw made that dare with Timberpaw? **

**QOTD #2: What do you think of Timberpaw's surprise owl attack?**

**QOTD #3: How do you think Hurricane knows where the camp is?**

**Well, that's it! If you liked this chapter, leave a review! If you didn't, well… feel free to rant in a review too! xD**

**;; Orangeflight of ShadowClan **


	21. Chapter Twenty: The Background Warrior

**Merry (late) Christmas! Sorry that this chapter took a while, I had to edit it a bunch of times for me to actually like it. D: (and then there was the fact that I had a case of writer's block)**

**Uhh… I actually have nothing to add today. :0 I know right, what a shocker. So, I'll get straight to the review replies!**

**Silver Shadows in the Night: Oh don't worry, she's the main character! I can't have her dying yet. :3**

**FireySpirit711: Oh, well, I can tell you right now that they aren't in the Dark Forest. They're just stupid apprentices. :P Ooh, Timberpaw's your favorite character? Yes, someone who still likes him! :0 (I do too) And I wrote this story before I read Dovewing's Silence (because I thought Warriors was finished after The Last Hope), so Foxleap's still alive. The cats still alive include Sorreltail and Toadstep, too. :3**

**I'm glad you love this story! c:**

**Lightningstar-of-NightClan: Pff, maybe he will. xD**

**The reason the owl attacked will be revealed sometime later. Not too sure if it'll be soon or not, but it definitely will be mentioned somewhere! And Nightpaw just wanted something to spice up his life (although he could've done something else). :P And yeah, it definitely was Mapleshade who was talking about that! :D**

**Hmm, I'm not gonna say if your answers are right or not. ;D I'm not too sure if Timberpaw is going to dare Nightpaw back or not, though. xD**

**See you later, Sapphire!**

**WyldClaw: Yeah, the owl thing definitely came out of nowhere, didn't it? The tree legend is coming back sometime, so heads up. :P And, well, Hurricane has his ways. Thanks for the review!**

**Wolf of the Indians: Hehe, well, it's ok if you don't know how to answer some of the questions! xD Thank you for your answers, and thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you like this story so much. :0**

**Leafy: Oh, no, I'm pretty sure I'd win that award. xD It's okay! Don't worry about it.**

**Yeah, Timberpaw's definitely coming back. D: Hehe, that'd be funny if Hurricane's brother's name _was _Death. xD But it isn't, I promise. (I'm still laughing though pfft)**

**Yeah, Snowwhisper wants to be loyal… that's his dream, but Mapleshade is starting to turn that into a nightmare. D: Ooh, I really love how you answered the questions! c: I also believe Timberpaw should've tried to wait, but he really wanted to get it over with. He can be patient in certain situations… although, he is a pretty good actor, as you can see. ;w;**

**Thank you for the review! And again, it's okay if you were late. I won't put it against you. :)**

… **Oh, those review replies were longer than I expected. Oh well. Here's the chapter guys! I hope you enjoy it! And merry Christmas, again!**

_Chapter Twenty_

_Firepaw opened her eyes groggily, her _vision swimming blurrily. She stared, trying to focus, until finally she could recognize the walls of a den. _But who's den? _She struggled to move, but it felt as if her body was rooted into place. She had never felt so exhausted before.

There was a slight buzzing in her ears, a noise that wouldn't seem to go away. Firepaw tried to shake her head, but realized she couldn't. She frowned, staring at the den wall. It felt like there was an angry bee buzzing inside her head, but she couldn't do anything about it.

Firepaw's gaze travelled down to her paws. Her eyes hurt from the strain, but she saw that she was lying on a nest of springy moss. She took in a breath, imagining she'd be shaking right now. _...The medicine den. I'm in the medicine den. But— _

Suddenly, there was a rustling from the den entrance. Realizing once again that she couldn't move her head, Firepaw let a sigh go past her lips. It wasn't as if she needed to see who entered anyway—it was probably Jayfeather or Lilypool.

A flash of silver appeared in the corner of her eye. _Oh, it's Jayfeather_. But then there was a flash of white. Firepaw paused her thoughts, frowning. Could Jayfeather _and _Lilypool be here? _Yes, that's probably it_, she reassured herself.

"Firepaw," a familiar voice purred, silkiness edged in their mew. "Fancy seeing you here."

Finally, the cat stepped into the tabby apprentice's line of vision. She gasped, recognizing them immediately.

_Nightpaw!_

The black and white medicine cat apprentice's herbs were absent, and his forest green eyes glittered in the half light. The usual playfulness in his posture had disappeared, his appearance seeming fierce and cold instead. His pelt bristled slightly, and his claws were glowing in the small patch of light from the entrance to the den. He looked so different that, for a moment, Firepaw wondered if it was really Nightpaw she was looking at.

"I see you had fun, didn't you?" the ShadowClan tom meowed, slowly starting to circle around Firepaw's limp forme. "You should've seen how excited Timberpaw was. That owl tore into you as if you were a kit." Nightpaw paused for a moment before letting out a small chuckle.

Firepaw fumed, anger coursing through her like a wave. _I nearly forgot! This is all Nightpaw's fault! He's the one who made the dare…. He's the one who made Timberpaw break my heart! _She tried to scowl, but her body was still frozen in place.

Nightpaw knew this, purring in amusement. "It's a shame that it happened to _you_," he meowed. He flicked his black tail, brushing it against the wounds on Firepaw's back roughly.

Pain pierced through her back, and she wanted to screech in pain, but her mouth wouldn't let her. Why was Nightpaw doing this? She had done nothing to him!

Nightpaw stopped after a moment, padding forward so that Firepaw could see him. His green eyes glowed in the shadows of the medicine den. "This heartbreak is _nothing_, Firepaw," he whispered.

"It only gets worse from here."

.

..

…

"_Is it almost time?" A tom poked his head from out of the bushes, shaking leaves from his pelt._

"_Almost," a ginger tabby and white she-cat spat back, her fur bristling. "Go check on your little prisoners. You aren't needed here now."_

_The tom nodded, padding deeper into the forest. Eventually, he appeared inside a clearing. The trees stood very tall here, obscuring the minimal light so that it was just pure darkness. The tom picked his way through the shadows, reaching a pile of tree roots._

"_Rise and shine," he purred silkily at the roots._

_With a growl of discomfort, a white tom appeared from under the tree roots, shaking dirt from his pelt. His dark amber eyes flashed dangerously in the darkness. "I thought I told you to let us go," he spat._

"_And I thought _I _told you that you cannot escape," the tom responded without missing a beat, flashing a victorious smile. "Not even in your dreams."_

"_All Mapleshade wants is _me_," the white tom meowed quietly, his eyes narrowed. He looked over his shoulder slightly to look at two other cats behind them. Their formes flickered, signifying that they weren't really there. _

"_Correct," the tom meowed, his smile suddenly turning venomous. "You're very lucky Mapleshade needs you. If she didn't, you'd be dead where you stand." He flashed a look at the flickering cats behind the white tom. "I plan to kill them slowly and painfully."_

"_As if I'll let you," the white tom retorted, fluffing out his fur._

_The tom's tail twitched, and he turned around, starting to pad off. He stopped just at the edge of the clearing, gazing into the darkness. "You really think you can stop me?" he asked just loud enough for the white tom to hear. "I'm going to kill every single one of those Clan cats. Then they'll know my name."_

_He stood up straighter, turning to give the white tom a smirk. _

"_And they'll know your's, too."_

.

..

…

Firepaw jolted awake, panic running through her. She looked around wildly, the shadows of her dream still surrounding her. She thought she could see Nightpaw's face in the dreamy mist, but all of a sudden the nightmare faded away, leaving her gasping for breath.

"Firepaw? Are you awake?" Lilypool poked her head from a from a small cave in the medicine den.

The ginger tabby shuddered, still remembering her dream. What had Nightpaw meant when he said it only got worse from here? What could be worse than getting your heart broken?

_Could it be about the prophecy?_

But Nightpaw didn't know about the prophecy. . . right?

"Firepaw?" Lilypool padded closer, her dark brown and cream fur brushing against her side. "Is something wrong?"

The ginger tabby apprentice took in a deep breath. "No," she meowed, her voice surprisingly strong.

"Well, you should rest then," the medicine cat apprentice meowed, lifting her blue gaze to look outside the medicine den. ". . . You know, everyone is really worried about you. When that strange tom told us what happened, we thought you were dead!"

_Strange tom? _Firepaw struggled to remember who Lilypool was talking about, and then it struck her. _Oh! Hurricane!_

"I think he's still in camp," Lilypool meowed, noting Firepaw's expression. "I'm wondering if he wants to join the Clan or something. . ."

The ginger tabby apprentice blinked slowly and then struggled to her paws. But, as Firepaw had expected, Lilypool moved into action immediately.

"I told you to rest, didn't I?" the dark brown and cream she-cat muttered, gently pushing Firepaw back into the nest. "You aren't completely healed yet. Walking could open up your wounds." On the last line, Lilypool pointed purposefully at the apprentice's back.

Firepaw let out a grumble, fluffing out her fur in indignation. "Fine," she meowed in a clipped tone.

Lilypool sighed, giving her a small, slightly humorous smile. And with that, the medicine cat apprentice whisked out of the den.

.

..

…

Firepaw was awoken from her slumber by the murmur of voices outside the medicine den. Drowsily, the tabby apprentice pricked her ears to hear what they were saying so that she could somehow end their conversation.

"Why don't you just walk in?"

"She could be sleeping!"

The voices, though quiet at first, steadily rose in volume, making it easier to recognize who was talking. Firepaw realized the cat who wanted to visit her was Amberheart, and the other cat inquiring why she didn't just take action was Cherryfeather. She didn't move for a moment, wondering if she should pretend to be fully awake for them.

It seemed Firepaw didn't have to ponder for long. Amberheart pushed her way through the fern tunnel, her orange eyes bright. "Oh! You're awake!" the white and gray warrior exclaimed, surprise lighting her features.

Ignoring the grumble of "I told you so," from outside the den, Firepaw smiled warmly at her friend. "Yeah," she responded in a soft voice.

Amberheart gazed at her sympathetically, her eyes darkening. "I'm sorry that this happened to you," she murmured, turning her head slightly to look at Firepaw's back.

Firepaw tried not to frown at the mention of her injury. _Timberpaw… no, Nightpaw…. I can't believe they tricked me like that. _But no one knew that. No one knew she'd met up with Timberpaw, not even Hurricane.

She didn't know if she was glad no one knew.

"But we'll find who did this." Amberheart straightened up, her eyes narrowed in determination.

_Who? … Did Hurricane not tell everyone I was attacked by an owl? _Firepaw just glanced at the warrior, not willing to let the smile slip off her face. She couldn't drop her facade now, not when there were too many secrets waiting to be told.

Amberheart looked as if she was about to say something more, but suddenly, another cat burst into the fern tunnel. Firepaw blinked in realization, recognizing the cat as Hurricane.

The black and white loner stopped when he spotted the tabby apprentice. "Firepaw! Great, you're awake!" His expression looked relieved for a moment before it turned frantic. "Listen, there's a—" Suddenly, he paused.

Firepaw followed his gaze to see he was staring at Amberheart in surprise. The white and gray warrior stared right back, her orange eyes unreadable. The two cats looked at each other for a while before Hurricane looked away, breaking the spell.

"Sorry," he meowed, looking at his paws. "I didn't see you in here…."

Amberheart didn't respond for a moment. She looked deep in thought, her eyes still on Hurricane. Finally, she murmured, "It's okay. I was just leaving." She dropped her gaze, padding out of the medicine den.

_What was that about? _Firepaw stared after her, confused, before Hurricane's frantic voice caught her attention once more.

"The reason I'm still here is because I heard about the disappearances," the black and white tom meowed quickly. "And, well… I think I might know where they are!"

Firepaw froze. _Is he talking about Brackenfur, Molewhisker, and Snowwhisper?_

"You see… somewhere, a little bit outside of Clan territory, there's a mountain." Hurricane had obviously slowed down a bit, instead talking in a whisper. "On that mountain… is where Qatil lives."

"Qatil!" Firepaw couldn't stop herself from gasping. "He took them?"

The black and white loner nodded solemnly. "He has them locked up in one of the caves," Hurricane meowed. "His guards are watching them at every second…. And they aren't afraid to punish them if they ever step out of line."

Firepaw shivered. _He… punishes them? For what? He kidnapped them! _

"I believe two of them are almost at the end of their ropes…"

Firepaw pushed herself to her paws forcefully, ignoring the stinging sensation on her back. Hurricane took a step back, startled by her ferocity.

Fire burned in the tabby apprentice's golden eyes, and she snarled, "I'll tear Qatil to pieces! I can't believe he'd do that!" She turned to Hurricane, fluffing out her fur dangerously. "Where is this mountain?"

The black and white tom pushed Firepaw back down, his storm blue eyes glowing. "I'm not taking you," he meowed.

"_What_?" Firepaw stared at him, narrowing her eyes.

"You're hurt, obviously," Hurricane meowed, pointing to the long, deep wounds on her back. "You wouldn't be able to do much to him in this state. I'm only telling you so that you'll tell Bramblestar when he visits. When he organizes a group of warriors, tell him to meet me just outside of your territory."

"Why can't you just tell Bramblestar yourself?" Irritation burned in Firepaw's belly.

"I'm leaving soon," the black and white tom responded without missing a beat. "And I don't think he trusts me," he added, lowering his voice.

_Well, you did kind of bring in his one and only kit wounded, _Firepaw thought, but didn't say anything.

Hurricane looked outside of the medicine den, his expression wistful. "Your Clan is very nice, Firepaw," he whispered. "It makes me wish I lived here. But… I have to stay as a loner. It's for the best."

"You could probably join the Clan if you wanted," Firepaw responded. "My father—Bramblestar, in case you didn't know—is surprisingly lenient when it comes to loners and kittypets."

If Hurricane was surprised that Firepaw's father was Bramblestar, he didn't show it. "Maybe," he meowed quietly, shuffling his paws. "But, for now… I must stay as a loner." His pelt rippled as he moved towards the exit of the den, his tail flicking. "This is goodbye," he murmured, just loud enough for Firepaw to hear.

"Bye, Hurricane," Firepaw meowed to him, slight sadness glistening in her eyes.

The black and white tom disappeared out of the den.

Once she was sure he was gone, Firepaw slouched on the springy moss with a sigh. She was being excluded out of a rescue mission all because she'd gotten hurt. She just couldn't believe it.

_But it's all my fault, isn't it? I'm the one who agreed to meet with Timberpaw in the first place. I'm the one who fell in love with him…._

"Played like a fool," Firepaw murmured under her breath, resting her head on her paws. "Played like a fool."

She couldn't help save Brackenfur, Molewhisker, and Snowwhisper, and it was _all her fault_.

**Oh, well, stuff happened. :0 So much stuff. I hope you guys could keep up with it all!**

**I'm starting to feel really bad for Firepaw. She has a lot of stuff on her shoulders, and she's too injured to save Brackenfur, Molewhisker, and Snowwhisper. D: I'd be really upset, too.**

**Well, here are some QOTD's:**

**QOTD #1: What do you think Nightpaw meant when he said 'It only gets worse from here'?**

**QOTD #2: How do you think Hurricane knows exactly where the missing cats are?**

**Well, that's it! :) I hope you guys have a great day!**

**;; Orangeflight of ShadowClan**


	22. Chapter Twenty-One: Risky Rescue

**Hello, and welcome to chapter 21 of Lucky c: I didn't expect this so soon, and I bet neither did any of you, so this is a surprise for everyone. xD**

**This is one of **_**those **_**chapters. It has italics and not italics and two POVs so yeah xD I think I got my point across though, so you know, I'll take it.**

**Also… if you were wondering who Hurricane's brother is, here you go: fav . me / d9mh9kn (without spaces, of course :P)**

**Anyway, to the reviews! ;D**

**Lightningstar-of-NightClan****: Firepaw: Oh, gee D: Runningstar had a pretty bad love life. Her mate sounds super mean. But Timberpaw won't **_**kill **_**me, will he? … Will he?**

**No, Firepaw. xD **

**Snowwhisper: Oh, well, you see… Mapleshade is—**

**No, Snowwhisper! The plot, you're ruining the plot! D: And for Mapleshade, you'll just have to wait and see why she can see into the future… although I admit it isn't too important. And let's see how your prediction goes c:**

**I always love how you answer the QOTD's, and today is no exception! But once again, I can't exactly tell you if you're right or not. xD Oh, and, if you want, I could PM you a review response? If it makes you remember easier, just tell me. :)**

**Wolf of the Indians****: Nah, I won't go Crookedstar's Promise on you. xD And hmm, maybe! :)**

**Aspenfur****: In this, I actually planned Thrushpaw to be the mean one and Nightpaw and Timberpaw to just be nice…. All my plans get thrown out of the window, as you can see xD**

**Welp. Hurricane is Qatil's brother. :0**

**Dawngaze110723****: Aaaaa, thank you so much. :D It means a lot that you think this is one of the best Warriors stories. :)**

**(Yeah Nightpaw is the best ;3)**

**Esther (Guest)****: Thank you so much. :) And you"RE RIGHT ACTUALLY :") CONGRATULATION !**

**Leafy****: Ah, well, she isn't. xD I did laugh at that though pff**

**Yeah! Qatil just about spells bad news. Luckily he gets told by his brother this chapter :")**

**More Hurricane in this chapter. After that, he'll probably be gone for a while. But I don't know, I change a lot of things. xD**

**Hmm… as always, loving the QOTD answers! ;D Nightpaw is pretty mysterious, to say the least. He doesn't actually have a definite personality right now. … His only personality trait is that he's as chill as an ice cube… but is that an actual personality or no? xD **

**Thank you! Well, here's the next chapter. I hope you like it! c:**

**Alright guys. Please welcome the first chapter of 2016! :D**

_Chapter Twenty-One_

"_Qatil!"_

_The dark brown tom smirked, his amber eyes glinting in the half-light. "Fancy seeing you here so soon, Hurricane," he purred. _

"_Cut the mouse-dung, Qatil," the black and white tom hissed, his tail swishing. "You know very well why I'm here."_

_The dark brown tom blinked at him, a smirk still lining his features. "How… conniving," he said after a while. "I expected to trust you, since—"_

"_What we were before doesn't matter," Hurricane interrupted quickly, frowning. "Let the Clan cats go."_

"_What a change of heart!" Qatil exclaimed, mock surprise lighting up his gaze. "Just a few days ago, you couldn't have cared less."_

_The black and white tom bristled. "I… that doesn't matter! I care now! So let them go. I won't hesitate to use _force_."_

_The dark brown rogue frowned slightly. "...Alright." _

_Eyes gleamed in the shadows of the rock wall. All of a sudden, cats jumped into the light, their pelts bristled and their claws unsheathed._

"_It seems you've forgotten I have a group of my own," Qatil said smugly, narrowing his eyes at Hurricane._

"_No, I remembered," the tom responded calmly. Suddenly, ThunderClan cats burst out of the bushes, standing in a line behind Hurricane._

"_Seems like this is getting pretty even," Qatil meowed, but his voice betrayed his shock._

.

..

…

Firepaw glanced down at her paws, frowning. She really had wanted to go with her Clanmates to save Snowwhisper, Brackenfur, and Molewhisker. She needed to stop making stupid decisions.

Lilypool padded towards her, sitting down by her side. "You're still sulking?" she asked, a trace of humor in her tone.

"Of course," Firepaw muttered. "I feel betrayed."

"Firepaw, you're obviously hurt," Lilypool pointed out, her blue gaze resting on the tabby's back. "Bramblestar wouldn't have dared take you into battle."

_I wish everyone would stop mentioning that, _Firepaw thought subconsciously, licking her shoulder fur. _It's making me think Timberpaw is the bad cat._

_...I mean, he is, but I'm thinking about it way more than I should!_

The tabby apprentice scowled.

.

..

…

_Hurricane stepped forward threateningly, but he didn't really want this. Qatil was a good cat deep down… he knew. But he had to actually take a stand if he wanted these Clan cats to get away._

_The ThunderClan cats shuffled behind him, throwing glares at Qatil's cats. Hurricane frowned, turning back to the dark brown rogue._

"_Do you give up?" Hurricane's voice rang across the clearing, piercing the air._

"_Are you stupid?" Qatil smirked, lashing his tail. He glanced at his group of cats for a moment before yowling, "Attack!"_

_The cats moved immediately, barreling towards the ThunderClan cats. Bramblestar had barely had enough time to tell his cats to attack before the battle had begun._

.

..

…

Lilypool smiled down at her. "Well, think of it this way. You'll have the pleasure of greeting Snowwhisper, Brackenfur, and Molewhisker first."

"That isn't as great as _saving _them," Firepaw muttered.

The dark brown and white medicine cat flicked her tail in slight annoyance. "... Listen. If I give you something to do, will it take your mind off of it?"

Firepaw perked up, but then faltered. "It… depends on what you want me to do," she meowed warily, remembering when she went to gather herbs with her.

"I just want you to get rid of the elders' ticks," the medicine cat apprentice meowed, glancing around the den. "It's nothing too serious."

"Get rid of the elders' ticks?" Firepaw's eyes widened in disbelief.

"You said you wanted to do something," Lilypool responded, shrugging. She looked around the den again, and then spotted what she was looking for. She started to pad over to the classified item.

"That didn't mean I wanted to do something _boring_," Firepaw complained, standing up with a huff.

Lilypool stomped her paw on the ground. A moment later, she lifted it up with mouse bile on it. "I'm helping you," she meowed. "Jayfeather's orders. So grab some mouse bile and hurry up." The medicine cat apprentice limped off, trying to keep her paw in the air.

_._

_.._

…

_Hurricane slashed at a gray tabby and white cat, catching them off balance. The cat lunged toward him immediately, claws unsheathed. The black and white tom dodged out of the way, giving a huff of exhaustion. This battle had been going on for a while, and he was never the best fighter._

_The tabby came at him again, her teeth bared. Hurricane brought up a paw to parry her blow, but didn't expect her to bite him. He yowled in pain._

_Just as the gray tabby and white she-cat moved to finish him off, a flash of gray and white appeared in the corner of his eye. Amberheart bowled over the she-cat, hissing._

_Hurricane's eyes widened in surprise, but then he jumped into action, helping the ThunderClan warrior. He slashed his claws deep into the gray tabby she-cat's pelt, making her yowl in pain._

_Amberheart dealt a nasty blow to the tabby's head, making her jump back with a whimper. The rogue turned around and dashed away into a cave._

_Hurricane heaved a breath of relief. He didn't have the strength to fight anymore. "Thanks," he breathed to Amberheart._

"_It's no problem," the white and gray warrior murmured, her ears flattened._

.

..

…

Sandstorm snickered, eyeing Firepaw's foul expression. "Did you force her to do this?" she asked Lilypool, her green eyes lit up with amusement.

"Why else would I be in here?" Firepaw intercepted, narrowing her eyes. "I'd rather be savi—"

"Yes, yes, we know," Graystripe meowed good-humoredly, not taking offense. "You'd rather be out saving Brackenfur, Molewhisker, and Snowwhisper with the warriors. You've only said it a million times."

Firepaw scoffed, while Lilypool only snickered and rolled her eyes.

"Firepaw! There's a tick on my shoulder," Millie called, her eyes glittering in amusement.

The ginger tabby growled, moving over to the silver tabby elder. But suddenly, a sharp pain pierced her back and she yowled in alarm, crashing to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Lilypool was by her side in an instant.

"Y-Yeah," Firepaw muttered, struggling to her paws. "Don't worry." She continued walking over to Millie, although a lot slower.

.

..

…

_Most of the rogues had abandoned the battle, leaving only Qatil in the midst. The dark brown tom had a long scratch running down his side that would obviously scar, accompanied by small, minor cuts. His amber eyes were narrowed in rage as he looked around._

"_Where are our warriors?" Bramblestar demanded, his fur bristling. "You're outnumbered, Qatil."_

_Qatil turned and scowled at the ThunderClan leader. He didn't respond._

"_I _said_," Bramblestar snarled. "Where—"_

"_In that cave," Qatil muttered in a defeated tone, pointing with his tail towards a cave a little way away. _

_Hurricane set off towards it, his walk brisk. In a moment, he came to a stop in front of the cave._

_He let out a meow, blinking and waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness._

_What he saw, he didn't expect._

_._

_.._

…

"Are you sure you're okay?" Lilypool pestered as she and Firepaw walked back into the medicine den.

"Yes," Firepaw muttered, lashing her tail. She padded to a small pond, dipping her paws in it to wash away the mouse bile.

Lilypool plopped her paws in next to Firepaw's. "Listen, I'm sorry if the elders made you mad," the dark tabby medicine cat apprentice meowed quietly, her expression downcast. "You didn't have to do that if you weren't up to it."

"You were right earlier," Firepaw meowed, water glimmering on her light paws. "I said I wanted to do something, so I did. You didn't do anything wrong."

Lilypool frowned, but didn't say anything more.

Firepaw finished washing her paws and padded back to the nest, lying down. She curled her tail around her paws.

"If you need anything, tell me," Lilypool meowed, looking apologetic before disappearing into the medicine cave.

Firepaw closed her eyes, immediately falling asleep.

.

..

…

_When Firepaw opened her eyes, she realized she was staring at Brackenfur, Molewhisker, and Snowwhisper. She blinked, confusion glowing in her eyes. Wasn't she in the medicine den?_

_A sharp intake of breath caught Firepaw's attention, and she turned to see Hurricane, his stormy blue eyes wide with horror. Following his gaze, she noticed quickly that she was looking at the missing warriors again._

_What was the problem?_

_That was when Firepaw realized she could see blood. So much blood that the smell suffocated her. She gasped, taking a step back._

_Brackenfur, Molewhisker, and Snowwhisper were covered with blood._

"_Brackenfur?" Hurricane whispered. "Molewhisker? ...Snowwhisper?"_

_No one stirred._

_Firepaw felt her eyes blur with tears. They couldn't be dead! They couldn't be!_

"_I'm sorry, Firepaw." Breath stirred her ear fur, and she turned to see Dewpaw there, his dark amber eyes glittering with sadness. _

"_They're…?"_

_Dewpaw didn't respond. He padded forward, the stars in his fur sparkling as he moved. He stopped beside the three warriors, looking down at them._

"_... Dewpaw?" Firepaw's voice cracked, emotion brewing within her._

_The dark gray tom's eyes glowed a bright golden color before everything went dark._

**Muahahaha! A cliffhanger! :"0**

… **A rather sad cliffhanger. ;-; Sorry for tugging your heartstrings. But what do you think about what happened? I'm a bit teary… but I know what happens… so prepare for some waterworks D:**

**Well, let me bring out the QOTD's!**

**QOTD #1: Do you think Lilypool was right in making Firepaw do something to distract herself (even if it didn't work)?**

**QOTD #2: What do you think happened to Brackenfur, Molewhisker, and Snowwhisper?**

**Alright, that's it! I'll see everyone later! Don't forget to review. c":**

**;; Orangeflight of ShadowClan **


	23. Chapter Twenty-Two: D(reality)eam

**I'm back from the dead! Finally! :D I bet you're all proud—… or annoyed with me. Probably the latter. xD Oops.**

**But, anyway, here's a Friday update! Pretty refreshing, right? … Speaking of that… I'm starting a thing called 'Lucky Fridays'. I'm updating Lucky on a random Friday of every month now! ^^ So no more late updates.**

**Anyway, let me get straight to the review replies! **

**Sapphire-of-NightClan:** **First of all—I never said it before, but I love your new penname! :D **

**Second—not quite. Mapleshade definitely is not immortal. C:**

**Leafy:** **Thanks! :D Nah, Hurricane's not going anywhere! Well. Yet. ;)**

**Info about Snow, Mole, and Bracken are in this chapter! c: Uhh… maybe I shouldn't sound happy about that info. Huh, I never realized how devoted you were to FirexSnow till now xD It is a pretty great ship.**

**Ooh, those are pretty good theories… but those can't be confirmed or unconfirmed till later. c': Thanks, and see you!**

**Dawngaze110723:** **Thank you! Here's the chapter! :D**

**Aspenfur:** **Thank you for your generous offer… but I don't like cherries. :^)**

**(Also, sorry that your sister doesn't treat you fairly! ;v;)**

**WyldClaw:** **You'll find out. Here. ^^**

**Nightbird1648:** **Hey, Night. ^^**

**I'm glad my writing was effective enough for you to feel sad. c: Pfft, I also get lazy - but I never log out of my account, ever xD**

**Hehe, thanks! xD**

**Okay, to the chapter! Presenting, Chapter Twenty-Two c:**

_Chapter Twenty-Two_

_Firepaw had her head bowed, _sadness and worry rushing through her like a wave. That dream had been so _real_. What if it was true? What if Snowwhisper, Brackenfur, and Molewhisker were—

No… she couldn't bare to think that way.

Firepaw moved her head slightly, looking at the sunlight dancing along the medicine den's walls. She hadn't been able to go to the battle. She couldn't save anyone—but even if Firepaw could have gone, could she have made a difference?

She let out a sigh, her tail lashing in her mossy nest. If those three died, then it would prove that Qatil isn't an easy foe. But Firepaw just couldn't believe that that brown-furred rogue she and Blossomfall had ran into would cause so much trouble.

But Hurricane was the one who claimed Qatil was the bad cat—of course Firepaw believed him, but what if he was just covering his own disastrous deeds?

_No_, she thought, shaking her head in annoyance at her own thoughts. _Qatil was the one who had bested warriors before, not Hurricane. And besides, Hurricane helped me!_

Just then, Lilypool entered the medicine den, her expression distraught. "F-Firepaw! We need herbs, stat!"

The ginger tabby jumped to her paws, only half-listening. The medicine cat apprentice had been talking so fast. "What? What herbs?" Firepaw asked, but Lilypool had already disappeared inside a small cave in the den.

Frowning, Firepaw ignored Lilypool's order and instead shuffled outside of the den to see what had gotten her so worked up. Bright sunlight blinded her gaze for a moment before her eyes finally adjusted.

Firepaw froze.

Red spattered on the ground, brown fur turned mahogany, cream paws covered in red, glinting liquid….

She rushed towards them. "No, no, no!" Firepaw whispered harshly. They couldn't be dead, they couldn't—

"Firepaw…"

The light tabby turned to face the speaker, her expression upset. "...Squirrelflight," she mumbled, a lump in her throat.

The ginger deputy leaned forward to press her muzzle on Firepaw's forehead. "It's ok, Firepaw," her mother murmured. "The death of a warrior—or more—is nothing new. I know it's sad, but… at least we still saved someone."

Firepaw lowered her head sadly, not bothering to process Squirrelflight's words correctly. She couldn't just tell her _not _to be sad. She hadn't even been close to them much, but the pang of grief still rang through her.

Her mother sighed, giving her a few licks behind the ears. After a moment, Squirrelflight pulled away. "I'm sad too," she told her daughter, Firepaw's distress reflecting in her green eyes. "But we have to be able to move on, or we'll never get anything done."

Firepaw swallowed a sob, nodding slowly.

Lilypool crashed out of the medicine den, Jayfeather in tow. Green stems of herbs poked out of their jaws with tiny black poppy seeds mixed in-between.

"Are you sure you aren't too late to save them?" Squirrelflight asked, turning to them with a look of worry on her face.

Jayfeather placed the herbs down, his expression grim. "We'll see."

As the two medicine cats worked on fixing their wounds, Firepaw stared blankly in a different direction. Maybe if she hadn't been so stupid and went to meet Timberpaw….

There were many bad things that came out of that meeting. Firepaw twisted her head slightly to look at the large scratches on her back from the owl. If maybe she had been more careful, if she had seen Timberpaw's true intentions….

"Firepaw." Squirrelflight's nudge brought the tabby out of her thoughts. "You'll be okay."

Firepaw didn't respond.

.

..

...

Maybe Firepaw should've been paying attention more when Squirrelflight was talking to her.

Night had settled upon the camp, a soft breeze filtering through the air. Moonlight shone onto two dead bodies that were covered in green herbs. The blood from their wounds had been expertly cleaned, but that was the only thing Jayfeather and Lilypool could do.

Firepaw let out another shuddering breath. A puff of white air followed shortly after. She had never wanted anyone to die. Why did StarClan allow this to happen…?

Snowwhisper pressed against her side reassuringly. When the white warrior had returned to camp unharmed, everyone was shocked. Some of the senior warriors were suspicious. Admittedly, Firepaw had been too. She had seen him in her dream, she had seen him not moving….

But it didn't matter now. Snowwhisper was _alive_.

Firepaw couldn't have ignored the joy bubbling in her chest.

Hurricane stood a little way off, seperate from the rest of the Clan. His storm-blue eyes glittered in the darkness with an unreadable expression. He was supposed to leave after rescuing the three warriors, but there was no doubt he was feeling guilty after bringing them back with two dead.

Amberheart sat on Firepaw's other side, watching Hurricane with a worried expression. The calm warrior had definitely been spooked by the events of the battle with Qatil—Firepaw could see it in her posture.

Qatil was an enemy that would be hard to deal with.

With another sigh, Firepaw turned her attention back to Brackenfur and Molewhisker's bodies, grief tugging at her.

She'd avenge them someday.

.

..

...

"I have to tell you something." Snowwhisper shuffled his paws as he spoke, his gaze never quite reaching hers. "It's very important…"

Firepaw stared at him for a moment before frowning. "What is it?" she asked.

The white warrior's dark amber eyes darted around the clearing. "... In private," he muttered, mostly to himself. Raising his voice, he added, "Let's meet up tomorrow at about moonhigh."

Firepaw's frown turned into a scowl. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm confined to the medicine den," she meowed with an edge of annoyance in her tone. "So we can't exactly meet anywhere other than there."

Snowwhisper let out a low groan, realization crashing into him. "You're right," he muttered. "... Why'd you have to mess with that owl?"

"I didn't do _anything_," Firepaw meowed back, ignoring the guilt shooting through her. "Can't we just talk some other time, when I can finally get back to being an apprentice?"

Snowwhisper slouched dejectedly. "I guess." With that, the white warrior padded off towards the warriors den.

Firepaw scoffed before letting a small smile fall across her face. "I'm glad he's okay," she murmured. She didn't know what she would've done if he had been killed. While he could be overprotective, Snowwhisper was one of her friends.

_Friends_….

Firepaw smiled even brighter. _Yeah. Friends._

"Firepaw, I need your help with something," Lilypool meowed, nudging the apprentice's shoulder. "Could you help me carry some herbs in? Jayfeather's taking a nap, and honestly," she shivered, "I'd rather not disturb him."

The ginger tabby she-cat sighed, her happy mood momentarily forgotten. "Yeah, I'll help," she responded, stretching out her limbs. There had been a sharp pain in her back, but it seemed to have dulled over the past few days.

"Great!" The dark brown and white she-cat's blue eyes brightened. She bounded over to the exit to camp, waving her tail quickly for Firepaw to follow.

The ginger tabby walked carefully after her, trying not to be too harsh on her wounds. It was a miracle she even had full use of her back still. The owl's talons had dug deep.

As the scenery started changing to a forest, Firepaw began to feel on edge. She glanced into the shadows, her fur prickling. What if Qatil was hiding, waiting to strike?

She shook her head furiously. _No way! We defeated him. He should know better than to show up here again._

Lilypool trotted up to a clump of flowers, nosing her way through them. She let out a soft meow of satisfaction, picking out the stem of a white flower.

"How many herbs are we getting?" Firepaw asked, looking around slightly warily. Even if her Qatil fears had been quashed, the forest did feel more… _dangerous _than usual.

"Just a few more," Lilypool responded, wrinkling her nose slightly. "I thought you'd appreciate moving around."

"I do," the tabby muttered, but not loud enough for the medicine cat to hear her.

The dark brown and white she-cat padded off somewhere else, Firepaw closely following. The feeling of foreboding never went away, twisting a knot into the tabby apprentice's belly. She had to struggle to ignore it.

Lilypool picked up a few more stems of herbs and then turned back to Firepaw. "Could you go get some marigold from over there?" she asked, pointing to a tree flecked with yellow.

Firepaw gave the medicine cat a nod before walking over to the tree. Before she could even think of getting the marigold, something caught her eye. The tabby turned slightly, her eyes wide with wonder. One single flower sat in a patch of grass a little way off, glittering in the sun's rays.

The marigold momentarily forgotten, Firepaw padded over to the flower. "What's this?" she breathed in awe.

The flower had a thorn-like appearance, its petals stretched inward as if ready to attack. Orange, yellow, and blue danced across its features, making it look almost bird-like. Firepaw had never seen this type of flower before.

Just as Firepaw moved to touch it with a claw, a loud creaking split the air. The tabby froze, her paw suspended in mid-air. More creaking echoed in the air.

"Lilypool?" Firepaw called, still not daring to move.

More creaking echoed through the forest for a moment. Worriedly, Firepaw thought that maybe Lilypool was in trouble. Why else would she take so long to answer?

"Firepaw!" Relief flooded through her veins when Lilypool finally called back. "Stay where you are! Something's happening!"

Firepaw slowly put her paw back on the ground, staring at the bird-like flower. But what exactly was happening? It was like… the forest was trying to move something….

Firepaw realized what the problem was just before it happened.

Another loud echo of creaking filled the air before suddenly, a rumbling rattled through the ground. Firepaw stumbled, letting out a meow of surprise.

"Lilypo—ah!"

A loud crash shook the earth.

.

..

...

"_It seems the Clan is finally getting suspicious of you," Mapleshade purred, curling her tail. "And Firepaw can't even let you tell your tale. Such a shame, isn't it?"_

_Snowwhisper's fur bristled. "They aren't suspicious!" he growled. "And she's hurt, and it needs to be private. I don't exactly have a lot of options."_

_Mapleshade started circling around him, a low laugh echoing through the still air. "You don't _get it_, do you?" she asked, a condescending tone blatantly obvious in her voice. "You can't change the future. No matter how hard you try, you're still just my deputy. The _Dark Forest _deputy."_

_The white warrior swallowed, a low growl rumbling in his throat. "I can change everything," he responded, "if you'd just stop attacking Firepaw all the time! I _know _it's you."_

_Mapleshade halted, malice glinting in her green gaze. "We can't _kill _her, but we can stop her. And that's exactly what I'll do." The Dark Forest leader stepped forward, meeting Snowwhisper's gaze._

"_You'll fail, no matter how many times it happens."_

**Well! Short chapter alert! Sorry for not warning you earlier :'D**

**But anyway, stuff went down… Molewhisker and Brackenfur are dead :( Sorry. But they had to go, for plot reasons.**

**Also, this chapter was very off-key since I haven't written anything in like 5 years D: But you can sort of see my writing style come back near the end.**

**QOTD time!**

**QOTD #1: What do you think Snowwhisper wanted to talk about with Firepaw?**

**QOTD #2: What do you think happened with Firepaw and Lilypool?**

**QOTD #3: What do you think Mapleshade meant by 'no matter how many times it happens'?**

… **Sorry if the QOTD'S ever sound like some sort of homework assignment, or something ;v; But anyway, see you sometime in April on a Friday!**

**;; Orangeflight of ShadowClan **


	24. Chapter Twenty-Three: Darkness

**Heeey! I hope it isn't too much of a shock to see me :') It's your good ol pal Orange here with another Lucky update!**

**It's my birthday once again, so you know what that means! Yep, a chapter! Sorry for not doing that Lucky Fridays thing. Just let me leave my update schedule as mysterious as possible. xD**

**Anyways, two chapters are coming today. One, right now, and another one after I go to the movies for my birthday. So stay tuned!**

**Let me move to the review replies!**

**Guest****: You're Sapphire, right? I think I remember you writing this review on a joinme xD**

**Well, you're half-right about the Snowwhisper thing xD Both answers, actually. I changed it up a little and let him talk to Firepaw this chapter, so yay! The bird flower was just a symbol. It's a little important, but then again, not really if you don't know what it means xD And yeah, you're kinda right about that :( More right than you know.**

**InkblotLeaf****: Thanks! And yep, Snowy's a-ok :) … I can't really say that about Brackenfur and Molewhisker though…. Oops… :( **

**Oh well. As great as FirexSnow is, somehow I don't think it will happen xD But I do really like it too. And actually, both! A small earthquake happened and a tree fell. c: And well… it isn't April. It's July. I hope you can forgive me for being slow xD**

**Nightbird1648****: Oh, hey Night! :) **

**Your questions can be answered this chapter xD It really explains everything. Not in detail, but good enough. And thanks! I hope you enjoy this chapter c:**

**BlackFeather****: Oops, sorry for disappearing like that :( FirexSnow... I'm not too sure yet. I really like the two of them together, but it might be impossible due to future plots. Thank you! I'm glad you like the story, I hope you like this chapter too! :)**

**To the chapter!**

_Chapter Twenty-Three _

_Mapleshade weaved around Snowwhisper expectantly, her green eyes glinting in the darkness. "Oh, my dear deputy, it's almost time," she purred sweetly._

_The white tom paled visibly. "Y-You mean—"_

"_No." Mapleshade suddenly stopped, her tail lashing. "Unfortunately, that isn't anything I have power to do. I'm talking about Qatil's destiny…." Her smile suddenly became cruel. "_Your _destiny."_

_Snowwhisper's expression changed to fear immediately. He took a step back, his paws shaking. "I-I… I won't do any of that! You can't make me!"_

"_Oh," Mapleshade narrowed her eyes, flashing an emotionless, toothy smile, "but I can."_

.

..

…

A tense silence filled the forest.

A low sound, like rushing water, coursed through Firepaw's head, disorienting her. She still felt as if the ground was vibrating beneath her and trees would fall around her at any moment.

Through her hazy vision, she spotted the flower she had been transfixed by dancing in the breeze she couldn't feel. It still glowed in some sort of special way, almost like the full moon.

Unsteadily, Firepaw tried to get to her paws, but stumbled back down onto the ground in a few seconds. _Why am I still so dizzy?_ she wondered, closing her eyes tightly.

"F…."

_Huh? _Firepaw tried to lift her head, but the dazzling light of the sun made her mind spin even more.

"F…ire…."

_...Fire?_

"Firepaw!"

Without warning, Lilypool was on top of her, and herbs fluttered in her line of vision. "Thank StarClan you're okay!" the medicine cat exclaimed.

"Of course I am…." Firepaw blinked dizzily, still trying to figure out just what was going on. "Lilypool…? What happened?"

"Oh." Lilypool got to her paws, shaking out her pelt. After a moment's hesitation, she pulled Firepaw to her feet as well. "There was a small earthquake, and I think a tree fell over." She frowned.

Firepaw blinked past the stars in her vision, just barely managing to comprehend what Lilypool had said. "An earthquake? … That explains the shaking."

"Ah…." Lilypool opened her mouth to say something, but then thinking better of it, changed the subject. "... But anyway, we got the herbs. It's time to report back to camp."

"That's it?" Firepaw shakily leaned down to pick up an herb. "We aren't going to investigate it?"

"I'm a medicine cat's apprentice, not a warrior," she replied, picking up the rest of the herbs. "It's the warrior's duty to tell Bramblestar."

"There aren't any warriors here," Firepaw meowed, stopping short. "So we have to tell _someone_, you know."

"Someone will find it on patrol," Lilypool explained, flicking her tail in a direct manner. "You know me, Firepaw. I really do want to check out what happened, but I know it isn't in my job to know. So we can find out later, alright?"

Firepaw gave her a dejected frown. "Oh, okay. Whatever you say." She picked up the herb and began to (still unsteadily) walk back to camp with Lilypool in tow.

Once they reached ThunderClan camp, Lilypool steered Firepaw towards the medicine den, eager for her to rest once again.

"I'll take care of the herbs," the dark brown medicine cat apprentice meowed. "You just rest. I didn't want you to strain that much today."

Firepaw gave a small scoff when Lilypool vanished inside of the herb store. She personally thought that she was fine. Sure, the scratches on her back would scar, and it still hurt when she moved a specific way, but she'd be fine.

_I bet I could go back to being a normal apprentice right now!_

"Oh, yeah." Black poppy seeds were suddenly dropped in front of Firepaw's paws. "To help you sleep," Lilypool added.

"Sleep? But I—"

Lilypool stuffed two seeds in Firepaw's mouth without a second thought.

The ginger tabby angrily chewed as she watched the apprentice's retreating form. _Sleep is for the weak. And I'm not weak!_

Firepaw continuously thought this, even as she fell into a deep sleep.

.

..

…

"_You know, you're beginning to become famous around here_."

_Firepaw looked up, recognizing the starlit grass as StarClan's territory immediately_. _Dewpaw's shimmering form greeted her, a humorous smile on his face._

"_I'd imagine," Firepaw purred, touching noses with her old friend. "What does StarClan want from me now?"_

_And just like that, Dewpaw's smile fell away like crumbling bricks. "Actually, they don't want anything," he confessed, a serious look glinting in his dark amber eyes. "I'm the one with a message."_

"_You?" Firepaw frowned, looking him over. "Is it about Seedcloud? She's fine, y'know."_

_The dark gray StarClan cat shook his head vigorously. "No, it isn't about Seedcloud. It's about Snowwhisper."_

_Firepaw suddenly tensed, eyeing him more fiercely than before. "...Oh."_

"_Mapleshade's power in the Dark Forest grows stronger and stronger," Dewpaw meowed quietly. "And as her power over darkness grows, so does her power over Snowwhisper."_

"_Her power… over Snowwhisper?" Firepaw stared at him, confused. What exactly was that supposed to mean?_

"_Yes." His eyes narrowed. "If her power over Snowwhisper grows… then that means she can start controlling him."_

"_Controlling him?" It felt as if a stone had dropped in her belly. Snowwhisper was his own cat! Mapleshade couldn't destroy that…._

"_You see, Mapleshade can control darkness to her will," Dewpaw explained. "It's a special skill you must have to become Dark Forest leader. And with that darkness, she can control other cats' bodies and use them however she wishes."_

_Firepaw swallowed. "O-Okay…." she meowed._

"_Snowwhisper is her deputy… which means Mapleshade would want to control him first. It's only reasonable." Dewpaw fluffed up his pelt, his eyes blazing. "Which is why I want you to help him. A little bit of compassion can hold off the control, but it won't be enough. If you're there, though…." He stopped short, holding his breath._

_The ginger tabby didn't respond for a moment. Snowwhisper needed her help. Without it, he'd be subject to Mapleshade's dark rule, doing her will without even wanting to. If there was even one way Firepaw could stop this…. If she knew how…._

_No cat deserved to not have freedom._

"_I… I'll do my best," Firepaw affirmed, narrowing her eyes. "Snowwhisper… no cat… deserves that kind of ending. And if you say I can help him, then I'll try."_

"_Oh, thank you Firepaw!" Dewpaw's eyes brightened. "I knew I could count on you!"_

"_Of course." She smiled. "Helping is my specialty."_

_Dewpaw mumbled something under his breath, but a smile was on his face so she didn't question it. "You're actually pretty lucky that I told you," he meowed._

"_Lucky? How?"_

"_Well, because—"_

_Suddenly, bursts of starlight swarmed around Firepaw, covering her in a cloak. "W-What? What's happening?" she asked, staring in surprise._

"_Uh… I think someone's waking you up. I can't tell who it is, though." Dewpaw squinted._

_Firepaw frowned. Just as the light consumed her, she thought she could see Dewpaw glaring in a different direction. _

_._

_.._

…

Firepaw opened her eyes groggily, taking in her dark surroundings. _Huh? Why would someone wake me up at night?_

"Firepaw!" a voice hissed.

She jumped up to her paws immediately, whirling around to come face-to-face with—

—_Snowwhisper?_

The shadows covered his pelt like stars in the night sky. He narrowed his eyes slowly. "... Remember earlier today, when I said I wanted to talk?"

"Um, y-yeah," Firepaw stuttered, the memory of talking to Dewpaw still fresh in her mind. Had he changed his mind about talking tomorrow instead?

Snowwhisper crouched into a sitting position, curling his tail around his paws. "Well, this is it," he meowed. "We're going into the forest." He frowned. "You're okay to go, right?"

It wasn't as if it was against the warrior code. "Yeah, let's go." Firepaw lifted her tail in a leading gesture, stalking out of the medicine den.

Snowwhisper didn't particularly lag behind, though. He immediately cut in front of her, lashing his tail briskly. "I'll lead the way… if you don't mind," he added softly, lowering his ears slightly.

Firepaw blinked. "Yeah, sure." Under normal circumstances, she would have been mad, but tonight was different. She had to start trying to fulfill Dewpaw's wish.

_But how? _she thought, staring at the back of Snowwhisper's head. Their friendship had never been perfect. It had too many rocky turns and almost no bridges to mend them. And even now, she wasn't as fond of Snowwhisper as she could've been. So saving him… would she have to change her views on him? Or was there some different way?

"We're here."

Firepaw almost ran into Snowwhisper. She backtracked immediately, fluffing up her pelt. "StarClan, you could've warned me earlier," she hissed.

The white warrior frowned. "Well, don't think so hard then. Anyway, look around."

Firepaw glanced around, surprise immediately dawning upon her. Flowers danced in the moonlit air, casting a glow everywhere around them. The bright moon showered everything a beautiful pure white color.

"Is this…?"

"Yeah. It's the flower field that you found me in a few moons ago." Snowwhisper eyed her almost shyly, shuffling his paws. "I wanted a perfect spot to talk."

"Well, now you have my attention," the tabby meowed, lying down and getting comfortable. "So tell me. Why did Qatil spare you and not Brackenfur and Molewhisker?"

"Well… I'm important—"

"Not really, compared to Brackenfur and Molewhisker, but go on," Firepaw cut in, ignoring Snowwhisper's irritable tail flick.

"I was going to say I'm important to _Qatil_. His cause goes paw-in-paw with Mapleshade's goal, so he figured he wouldn't kill me." Snowwhisper narrowed his eyes angrily. "He may as well have. It would stop all of this immediately."

"...Mapleshade…. What's her goal?" Firepaw almost felt afraid to ask.

Snowwhisper frowned, his features becoming tense. "Mapleshade always told the Dark Forest that her goal was to control the Clans. But that isn't true. Do you want to know Mapleshade's _true_ goal?" His fur began to bristle. "Her goal… is to enshroud the Clans in total darkness. They'll listen to her no matter what she does, they'll follow her every order…. It's the only thing she wants."

Firepaw stared at him, her claws unwillingly digging into the soil. "E-Enshroud the Clans in darkness…" she repeated, her voice quivering. "All of the Clans…. I-I can't…."

"There's a way to stop her," he continued, his dark amber gaze suddenly turning grim. "The Clans have to fight back, like they did many moons ago. But the Dark Forest is much stronger now than before…." He trailed off, looking at her expectantly.

"So we need more help," Firepaw realized, anxiousness brewing inside of her. "But non-Clan cats… would they really help?"

"It's up to interpretation," Snowwhisper responded. "But of course, there is another easier solution."

"Really? What is it?" Firepaw looked at him eagerly. She almost felt as if it was her duty to know. If she did, she could kill two birds with one stone by defeating the Dark Forest.

"The other way is a tiny bit… brutal," the white warrior meowed, looking at the ground. "But I'd do it myself if I could."

"It can't be worse than losing more Clan cats than I can count to the Dark Forest!" Firepaw replied, glaring determinedly at him. "Now, tell me Snowwhisper. What's the other way?"

There was a silence. The white warrior shifted slightly, pinning his ears to his head. "The other way…" Snowwhisper whispered quietly.

"The other way… would be to kill me."

**Whoa, end of chapter :O I'll just leave you to your thoughts for the chapter and go to the QOTD.**

**QOTD #1: Does Mapleshade's goal sound familiar? If so, from where? ;)**

**That's it! See you later tonight in the next chapter! :)**

**;; Orangeflight of ShadowClan **


	25. Chapter Twenty-Four: Meltdown

**Sorry this is late :( It was 12 am when we got back from the movies, and then I had a really bad episode today and was unable to do stuff in the morning. But I'm here now, so here's the review replies!**

**(Also, the QOTD last chapter? It was about Pokemon Mystery Dungeon xD)**

**Sapphire-of-NightClan: Well, not necessarily. Snowwhisper may or may not go to the Dark Forest. It's kind of explained some this chapter, but not really. It will be fully explained later c:**

**Oh man, I don't think Firepaw would actually kill him xD She cares too much about everyone in the Clan to do that.**

**And I don't really know. I like talking about earthquakes so I guess that's why xD Apparently everyone else does too. Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter! :3**

**Cloudedhazeleyes: Hey, thanks for following and favoriting this story c: **

**Nah. There's no way My Little Pony is _that _cool. I was talking about Pokemon. xD**

**Oh, that sounds pretty bad :( Good luck to you! Hope everything gets better.**

**Let's get to the chapter!**

_Chapter Twenty-Four_

"_No."_

"...No?"

The sun peeked from behind the hills, basking the flower field in a deep orange glow. Firepaw and Snowwhisper's forms shined in the small light, making them stand out against the pink flowers.

"No," Firepaw meowed once again, a set look of determination on her face. "I could never do that, Snowwhisper. I could never kill you."

The white warrior's tail flicked around rapidly. "Why not?" he asked. "Isn't it better than seeing other Clanmates die? You said it yourself, Firepaw. I know you don't really like me."

"My feelings have nothing to do with it!" she hissed. "Killing a Clanmate is unacceptable, even if it would save all the Clans! Don't be so egotistical. Mapleshade can manipulate other cats just like you to see through her goals."

"You don't _understand_, Firepaw!" Snowwhisper spat, drawing himself up. "You'd rather see all of our Clanmates die? You'd rather see Squirrelflight, Bramblestar, Amberheart—"

"Don't you _dare _make this about me!" Firepaw's fur bristled dangerously. "Killing you wouldn't have an affect on anything. You probably just want to die so you don't have to see Mapleshade's reign of darkness."

Snowwhisper narrowed his eyes. "Firepaw, you don't get it. Of course I don't, but that isn't why! There's something special about me that Mapleshade wants to destroy, no matter what the cost."

Firepaw, who hadn't remembered sitting down, stood up abruptly. "That sounds like a lie," she hissed. "Because I surely don't believe it."

The dim sunlight hit Snowwhisper spot on in that moment, and he turned his head. His expression brightened immensely, a smile curving on his lips.

Annoyance shot through her, but despite that, Firepaw turned to see what the snow-colored warrior was looking at. Her golden eyes widened in wonder.

The sunrise lit up the distant mountains, covering them in a white sheen. Golden clouds dotted the sky, giving it a beautiful luminous glow.

"The sunrise can't lie," Snowwhisper spoke up. Firepaw turned to him, startled to see him already looking at her.

"Yeah, of course not. It can't even talk," the tabby meowed matter-of-factly.

"No, I mean no matter what… the sunrise will still bring a new day. A new day in which you can change your ways." Snowwhisper turned around suddenly, shadows crossing his face. "Mapleshade always says I'm like the sunrise and that she's never met another cat like me. That's why she wants to break my spirit so much."

Firepaw could only watch as the white warrior padded off, sunlight brightening his pelt.

He truly did look like the sunrise.

.

..

…

"Hey, Firepaw?"

Firepaw looked up from her temporary nest, wincing. When she had been on her way back from the flower field, she snagged her wounds on a low hanging branch. Now they pulsed with pain every time she moved.

"You're okay, right?" Amberheart sat in front of her, orange eyes dim with worry. "Branches are pretty sharp."

"The branch was nothing compared to the owl," Firepaw muttered, clenching her teeth. Why couldn't she just pay attention for once?

"But your injury isn't really why I came in here," the white and gray warrior stated, suddenly lowering her voice. "It's Snowwhisper."

_How did I guess? _Firepaw thought, but didn't feel that usual pang of irritation. Maybe her feelings about Snowwhisper had changed more than she thought.

"He's a little gloomy today… and even worse, he went off somewhere!" Amberheart flattened her ears. "A search patrol was sent off, but they didn't have any luck."

_He's missing _again_?!_ Firepaw jumped to her paws, ignoring the stars of pain showering her vision. "What was he thinking?" she spat to no one in particular.

"I don't know, but we'll find him." Amberheart narrowed her eyes, a determined look crossing her face. "You can count on that." And with that, the warrior stalked briskly out of the den.

Firepaw had no choice but to believe her. With a huff, she collapsed onto the springy moss. Even she wasn't dumb enough to go back into the forest after reopening her wounds.

_If only I had realized the trap sooner…._

Timberpaw had made everything seem so magical. He made it feel as if they really belonged together, and nothing could stand in their way. And the tree he had showed her… it just seemed so special.

Firepaw flattened her ears. _I should've known. I got blinded by his charm, but I should've known he was just too perfect._

She couldn't ever see Timberpaw eye to eye ever again. It wasn't as if she ever liked ShadowClan.

As Firepaw stared off into the shadows, she felt her thoughts being drawn towards Snowwhisper. Where had he gone? He couldn't have just disappeared purposefully.

_Is it something to do with the Dark Forest? _Firepaw's breath caught. _What if Mapleshade kidnapped him? Can she do that?_

"Firepaw?" Seedcloud and Cherryfeather poked their heads into the medicine den.

"Hey," the tabby apprentice muttered, trying to steady her breathing.

"You'll be okay," Seedcloud meowed, stepping forward. "Who I'm worried about is Snowwhisper. I know Amberheart already talked to you about this, but Cherryfeather and I think you might have a clue of where he is."

"I don't have a clue," Firepaw responded, placing her chin on her paws. "Did you check the flower field? It's a little northwest of camp. He loves to go there."

"We've checked _everywhere_," Cherryfeather meowed, her ginger pelt fluffing up. "He's nowhere to be found. Honestly, Bramblestar's thinking that he might have left ThunderClan for good."

The ginger tabby shook her head a bit angrily. "No way. Snowwhisper wouldn't have just up and left. He wouldn't ever leave Amberheart or the Clan behind."

_He wouldn't, _Firepaw reaffirmed in her head. _So then where is he?_

"Well, wherever he is, I'm a little worried that we won't find him." Seedcloud looked nervous for a moment, biting her lip apprehensively. "What if he's dead, like Dewpaw?"

"Don't worry, Seedcloud!" Cherryfeather meowed immediately, glancing at the pale orange warrior with a smile. "No one's going to die, I promise you."

"Yeah, Snowwhisper's going to be fine." _He gets in enough trouble as is, _Firepaw added silently.

"Well, okay…" Seedcloud looked gloomy for another moment before flashing a smile. "Come on Cherryfeather, let's go search some more."

"Right! See you later, Firepaw," the ginger warrior meowed, turning and padding out of the medicine den. Seedcloud followed, waving her tail in farewell.

Firepaw sighed once again when they left. She never really liked being alone. It made her feel as if no one wanted to be with her. She wished she could talk to Dewpaw again, but she knew StarClan wouldn't talk to her unless it was dire. And needing a friend was nothing compared to what was happening behind the scenes.

_I wish I could help search for Snowwhisper_, Firepaw thought, getting into a sleeping position. _But I have to just stay here for now._

With that thought, she fell into a troubled sleep.

.

..

…

"_So where were we?" Mapleshade leaned forward, digging her claws into Dewpaw's shoulders. _

"_Mapleshade, you won't win," Dewpaw spat, struggling in her grip. "Firepaw and I won't let you!"_

"_What a shame that it's just you two," Mapleshade sneered, smirking cruelly. "I've heard that StarClan is _rather _fond of Snowwhisper."_

"_It doesn't matter," the dark gray StarClan cat growled, glaring at her. "What they think doesn't matter. Snowwhisper is important to me, and I'll help him, even if I die trying."_

_"Those are big words from a dead apprentice." Mapleshade eyed Dewpaw before suddenly bringing one of her unsheathed paws dangerously close to his exposed neck. "Listen well," she hissed. "Snowwhisper's my deputy, so I can make him do whatever I want. If you so much as appear to him in his dreams…." Mapleshade pressed her paw down._

_Dewpaw stared, dark amber eyes wide. He knew that if StarClan cats were killed again, they disappeared forever._

"_I'm glad you agree," Mapleshade purred, taking her paw away. Just before she disappeared into the shadows, she meowed, "Oh, Dewpaw, was it?"_

_The dark gray tom scrambled to his paws. "Yeah," he muttered._

"_Relay the message to Firepaw as well." Mapleshade smirked. "My claws are feeling a bit lucky today."_

_Dewpaw flinched at the implication, but nodded nonetheless._

_And with that, the Dark Forest leader was gone._

.

..

…

"Firepaw!"

The ginger tabby slowly opened her eyes, sleepiness dragging at her. She blinked slowly, finally recognizing her father's dark tabby pelt.

"What is it?" she murmured.

Bramblestar stared at her grimly, his lips in a thin line. "We found Snowwhisper… but there's a problem."

"A problem…?"

"Half of ThunderClan is going into battle. Qatil's cats are attacking WindClan."

That got Firepaw's attention immediately. "_Another _battle I can't go to? Can't Qatil just lay low for once?!" she hissed, digging her claws into the ground.

"I wish." Bramblestar looked outside the den. "We should be back by sun-high. We've left Thornclaw, Cherryfeather, and Berrynose here to stand guard, so you should be fine."

"I want to help," Firepaw meowed.

"Sorry Firepaw, but you can't." The dark brown tabby turned and leaned down, touching his nose against hers. "See you soon."

The ginger tabby was left to wonder just how this had happened. And why was Snowwhisper there? Had he known?

Well... Dewpaw had said that Mapleshade and Qatil's goals were connected. But Firepaw had never thought about how close they could be. Was Snowwhisper working under him as well?

_Oh, Snowwhisper, why can't you just stay out of trouble?_

**And… end! This chapter was a little all over the place, but I hope you all liked it regardless! I'll get to the QOTD's! **

**QOTD #1: How closely related do you think Mapleshade and Qatil's goals are?**

**QOTD #2: Why do you think Snowwhisper was near the WindClan battle?**

**That's it! I hope you all enjoyed my little birthday gifts, and see you next chapter! :D**

**;; Orangeflight of ShadowClan **


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